Splintered Perception
by ColdCoffee123
Summary: After Piper Chapman - a newly successful author - has her world thrown off its axis when her agent agrees to a new life of commitment, can she be honest to herself and fight for what she desires, or risk ruining the best thing to have entered her life?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a new story I'm excited about!**

 **I probably won't be adding to this until I'm finished with my other story, but I wanted to get the first chapter out (an indication to myself more so that I won't forget this exists).**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Miss Chapman," Alex addresses the woman sitting down, smiling as she walks into her office, looking down at the papers in her hand, "How was your summer?"

"Please stop calling me that," the blonde laughs, turning her head to follow the taller woman as she walks around to the other side of her desk, putting down the papers. "And it was okay, thanks. Yours?"

"Going on holiday and not having to think about work was nice," the brunette admits, taking a seat opposite the blonde.

"I can imagine," Piper replies, smiling at the older woman.

"So, do you have any new ideas for the book?" Alex asks, returning the blonde's smile before grabbing her notebook and pen, opening a blank page.

"I do, yeah. I needed your opinion on something though," the blonde probes.

"Of course - go ahead."

"What do you think about me writing a romantic novel?" Piper asks, hoping she gets the older woman's approval.

Fiddling with her glasses, Alex smirks, tilting her head to the right.

"I think that would be a great idea, Piper. What made you want to go down that path?" she goes on to ask, curious.

"Let's just say I felt some inspiration over summer," Piper admits, blushing slightly.

"Say no more," Alex smiles, picking her pen back up and jotting down some notes.

Piper, sitting at the desk, observes the older woman, in awe of her presence.

It was her third year working professionally with the older woman; at the age of 28, Piper finds her admiration for the the brunette growing day by day. Being a writer was an initial struggle for the blonde, and in her search for publishing her first crime novel, she met Alex.

* * *

 _Sitting in her local coffee shop, Piper is lost in the world of her reading book, situated in a secluded booth at the back of the small store. Despite the words on the page having her full attention, her focus is impeded by someone taking a seat opposite her in the booth. Looking up from her book, placing it down onto the table, Piper eyes the person, taking in their features._

 _The woman, she notes, has long, dark hair, inquisitive green eyes and a set of black frames covering her orbs._

 _"Can I help you?" Piper asks, slightly confused._

 _"I'm Alex."_

 _"Hi Alex. I'm Piper."_

 _"I would be lying if I said I didn't already know that," the brunette adds, placing her coffee cup down onto the table. "Okay - that sounded better in my head," she chuckles, smirking at herself._

 _"Sorry - have we met before?" Piper asks, unsure how the woman opposite her already knows her name._

 _"No, but I've read your work," Alex reveals, folding her arms that rest on the table._

 _"You have?"_

 _"I have indeed. I think you're a very talented writer, Miss Chapman."_

 _"Oh, I wouldn't go as far as saying that," Piper says in a self-deprecating manner, blushing at the compliment._

 _"I'm being serious. You're work is some of the best I've read in a long time. I'm here to give you a proposition."_

 _"What would that be?"_

 _"I work as a literary agent and I want to work with you. I think you're on to something really big here."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Really. My best friend owns a publishing company. I showed her your sample chapters and they're willing to push for this to go through."_

 _"You're fucking with me," Piper says out of disbelief._

 _"I promise that I am not fucking with you, Piper. I'm very much serious about this. I know it's a lot to take in, but I'll leave you to process on your own. Give me a call when you're ready," Alex says, handing over her business card before draining her coffee and leaving the booth._

 _'Alex Vause', Piper sees written on the card along with a description, email address and phone number - something she immediately adds into her phone without hesitation._

* * *

"Pardon?" Piper says, being drawn out of her daydream by her agent's husky voice.

"I asked if you got here okay?"

"I got here fine, why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Alex asks, eyebrows wide. "I don't know about you, but doesn't part of being a best selling author mean you have people following you around like all the time."

"Well, yeah, but I'm not _that_ famous."

"Please, Piper - you've been on the New York Times' Best Seller list for the second time in 3 years and everyone wants to get an interview with you."

"What about you? Did you get here okay?" Piper sasses, not liking the daily reminders she receives regarding her sudden rise to fame.

"I get to where I need to be just fine because, unlike you, people don't know who I am."

"They should. Come on, Alex, I owe my success to you."

"I like being out of the limelight. I get on with my business successfully that way," Alex replies, shutting the notepad and moving to put it back into her bag.

Watching the hands of the brunette, Piper's eyes are caught by a shining new item - something that instantly rips her heart out of her chest.

"When were you going to tell me that congratulations are in order?" the blonde asks, looking at the ring resting on Alex's ring finger.

"Yeah, I guess they are," Alex smiles - although it doesn't quite reach her eyes, as she looks down at her hand and then into the blonde's blue eyes.

"When did she propose?" Piper further asks, trying hard to not display how crushed she feels.

"Over summer. We were in Prague," the brunette replies in a hushed tone, her expression unreadable.

"When's the wedding?"

"We haven't planned that far ahead yet."

"I'm happy for you," Piper manages to get out while she pushes her chair back and picks up her bag.

"Thank you," Alex responds, giving a close-lipped smile. "Where're you going?" she goes on to ask, seeing the blonde moving to leave the room.

"Oh, I forgot I um… I have an appointment," she stutters out, hoping that her on the spot excuse seemed somewhat believable. "I'll call you soon," the blonde concludes, opening and then closing the office door behind her.

Rushing along the corridors and down the elevator, Piper finally reaches the car park, whereby she unlocks and gets into her black Audi.

Resting her hands against the steering wheel, she lets out a huff, telling herself now isn't the right time or place; throughout the short journey home, she repeats that motion to herself over and over, telling herself to not show how she's feeling, and it isn't until she reaches her apartment, entering her bedroom, that she finally allows herself to flop onto her bed and let out her pent-up emotions.

Over the years, the blonde had had a very minor string of relationships - some good, some bad, but none of them breaking off even remotely compared to the painful array of emotions she's currently experiencing. It was no secret to those close to her of how highly she thought of her agent, and yet, it seems as though, even after 3 years of knowing each other, the blonde was still unable to tell the older woman how she really felt about her.

Despite desperately wanting to tell the brunette - sometimes even finding herself of the verge of doing so, Piper would always relent due to not wanting to tarnish Alex's relationship with her girlfriend of 2 years and therefore her own subsequent relationship with the older woman.

She'd met Alex's girlfriend - _it's fiancée now, dickhead_ , the blonde mentally corrects - on only three different occasions: one evening when they had first gotten together, one time when she ran into them when out shopping, and the last being when she walked in on them during a more… intimate session when she stayed over at the brunette's old apartment one evening last winter.

Seeing Alex being intimate with another person was a bad addition for the blonde - it was an image that not only scarred her for life, but one that didn't help her case; it only added an element of realism to the imagery she had thoroughly envisioned as to what the brunette looks like under her clothes, which leaves her thighs clenching together on occasion.

She'd promised herself she would do it by the end of the year, and in hearing of her agent's new - still taken - romantic status, Piper wasn't sure what to do with not only herself, but with whether she should keep working with the brunette knowing she won't be able to keep her feelings to herself for much longer.

* * *

Another week passes by before Piper finds the courage to finally contact the brunette. She'd spent her time alone pent up in her apartment in which she lives by herself putting pen to paper. The decision to write a romantic novel had been planned as a form of motivation to finally open herself up to Alex, yet in her current defeated state, the topic at hand had been doing nothing but push the already present dagger further into her fragile heart.

It wasn't until the 3rd day of writing that she began to realise the benefits of choosing such a genre. Despite changing the names of the characters, despite changing the location of the characters, despite changing the dynamic between the characters, Piper was writing from her experiences; from the heart - her broken, tender heart. She had to keep reminding herself to not get too carried away - the older woman would be reading this after all, and by the time she reached day 7, the blonde felt somewhat relieved. Relieved that she was finally able to express her feelings, regardless of the medium of doing so.

As she struts into Alex's office, Piper makes sure to put on a show. Dressed in a tight, white blouse, a short, black skirt, and a matching set of stiletto heels, she feels powerful. Sensing eyes glance her way as she walks through the office building, the blonde knows she'd picked the right outfit. She wasn't trying to win the brunette over per se, but to show Alex what she is missing out on was something Piper would do everything in her power to fulfill.

Without knocking - something she normally politely does before stepping into her agent's office, Piper opens the door, giving off a smirk as she crosses the room's doorway threshold.

"Sorry I'm late," she says, causing green eyes to snap upwards.

Smirking to herself, Piper is pleased that she'd obviously managed to render the brunette speechless as Alex - despite trying to be subtle - very clearly scans over her form, eyes trained on the blonde's long, tanned legs.

"Don't worry about it," Alex finally replies after clearing her throat, turning back her swinging office chair, causing the blonde's smirk to grow wider at the fact that the older woman couldn't even look her in the eye.

"There's quite a bit for you to look through," Piper announces when she approaches the office chair on the other side of Alex as she finally turns back around, placing her bag down and purposely stepping in front of the seat, bending over to give the brunette a full view of the other side of her body as she grabs her work.

"Yeah," is all Alex replies, sounding as though she's practically drooling at the sight in front of her.

"Mm-hmm. I have an interview after this, so I can't stay for long," Piper admits.

"You can't?"

"I'm afraid not. I know you like to be informed about that kind of thing, but it was a bit of a last minute arrangement."

"That's fine, Pipes," Alex smiles, flicking through the stapled booklet the blonde handed her. "Do you have an electronic copy you could send me?"

"Already ahead of you there," Piper replies while rummaging through her bag for her lip gloss. "I sent it over a few hours ago," she adds, applying the gel to her lips.

The blonde observes the older woman's eyes momentarily flicker down to her lips before turning to the computer screen, shoulders rising as she appreciates the innate sense of organisation Piper obtains.

"Is this about women?" Alex asked, surprised by the brief synopsis of the new chapters she had read on the front page.

"That it is," Piper confirms interested to see the brunette's reaction to some of the more explicit elements of the pages she had written.

After 20 minutes of Piper sitting and listening to the brunette comment on particular sections she liked, she checks the time and sees that she has half an hour before her interview. Shifting in her seat, the blonde starts to collect her belongings.

"I need to go, Al," Piper voices, and when the older woman doesn't reply, the blonde stands in the middle of the room, holding the strap of her bag as she watches the brunette, who is obviously intensely reading through her drafted chapters thoroughly - more than normal, she notes.

"Alex?" the younger woman adds.

"Hmm?" she mumbles, head snapping away from her computer screen in panic, cheeks turning a light shade of rose.

"I said I need to go," Piper repeats, pleased that her work was obviously having the intended effect on her agent.

"Sure. I'll um… I'll call you later so we can talk about this."

"Talk to you then," Piper smiles, before turning and leaving the office to head for her car.

The meeting couldn't have gone any better. She's managed to render the older woman speechless more than once, and, given the amount of time she's spent on her current pages, she knew her work was good. More so, she knew the content in which had Alex flustered, and was pleased that her mood - as well as her feelings towards what she was doing with her life - was able to somewhat be lifted.

* * *

She's always found solace when writing something she was passionate about, and since her last meeting with Alex, Piper had done everything in her power to avoid her. She knew they would have to face each other at one point, and had a feeling the older woman would have a comment or two regarding the content of her recent interview that had been released the day before. They had agreed that the brunette were to come around for dinner to review the current chapters of her book, and while moving melodically around her kitchen as she cooks their meal, the blonde was somewhat nervous as to what feedback she would be receiving.

She waits another 10 minutes before the buzzer goes, indicating that the brunette was here, and after letting her up, Piper scans the room, making sure everything is in place before heading to open the front door.

"Long time no see, Chapman," Alex says as the wooden barricade opens.

"Hello to you too, Vause," the younger woman replies, leaning in to give the older woman a hug, closing over her eyes and clenching her jaw at both the smell and feel of the brunette.

"You cooked?" Alex asks as the brief hug breaks apart, walking further into the apartment while removing her shoes.

"Surprised?" the blonde offers in response, taking the brunette's coat and placing it on the bannister. "I even bought that wine I know you like."

"You didn't have to, Pipes," Alex comments, following the blonde into the kitchen.

"Think of it as an engagement present," Piper replies, turning her head back to look at the older woman while smiling - trying hard to hide her spitefulness.

She notes no response came from the older woman, yet in not wanting to break her heart even further by talking about Alex's up and coming wedding, Piper is grateful for the lack of response.

Their main course of dinner runs smoothly, and it isn't until they're conversing over dessert that the content of Piper's chapters is brought up.

"It was very… detailed," Alex points out, obviously thinking hard about what words would be appropriate to use in this situation, "but not in a bad way."

"You didn't think it was too much?"

"No. I thought it was just enough, but still pushed some boundaries," the brunette reveals, looking up from where she had been playing with the food on her plate with her spoon. "Why're you really doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"You're one of my best friends, Piper. I know you. You like to write with a motive; inspiration."

"What're you trying to say?"

"What made you write this? First a romantic novel and then it being a lesbian love story. I mean, don't get me wrong, I support your choice, but I'd just like to know what's going on in that head of yours these days."

"I guess travelling on my own was relieving. It allowed me to see what I was craving. I crave to not have to come home to an empty house every evening, not have to commit to sleeping on one side of the bed because the other is too cold, not have to watch scary movies in the day because no one's there to watch them with me at night. I don't want to be so… I don't know lonely anymore."

"You're not lonely - you have me, Polly, everyone at work, your college friends."

"I know," Piper shuts her eyes, trying her best to not let her real emotions get the better of her. "I just wanted to change it up, okay?" she adds, letting the older woman know it's a topic she doesn't want to delve into as of yet.

"Okay," Alex smiles, indeed sensing her friend's reluctance to address the matter at this moment in time. "I guess now's the perfect time to ask about what I read last night?"

"Sure," Piper affirms, putting down her spoon and leaning back in her chair.

"I didn't know that's how you felt."

"Well now you do."

"Piper-" the brunette tries to reason, not wanting the blonde to be angry that she's bringing it up.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just. I just didn't know when to tell you. You're always so busy with work and then you were away on business and then you went away with Sylvie and then I can only imagine you're busy planning your-"

"Piper," Alex interrupts, reaching over to cover the blonde's hand. "Breathe. I'm not looking for an explanation, I was just going to say that I'm proud of you."

"You are?"

"Yeah, I am. It's not easy talking about yourself like that, and I'm glad you're comfortable with who you are."

"Thank you, Alex. That means a lot," Piper smiles, looking into the older woman's green emeralds.

Before their staring becomes too much, Piper breaks away, pulling her hand from under the brunette's to grab their plates and walk towards the sink.

"So I guess now my book will be a booming success."

"Yeah, I guess it will," Alex replies stoically, and as Piper turns from her position to look over at the older woman, she finds Alex's expression unreadable. Her eyes are glossed over as she's stuck in a daydream; her hair is framing the sides of her face, and her arms are crossed at the elbow. It's in moments like these that Piper finds the brunette stunningly beautiful, and as a number of hours pass by - Alex returning home within that time, the blonde sits in bed with her laptop on her lap, still trying hard to get that very image out of her head.

She's watching through her 7 minute video interview that had been released the day prior - one of which had given her not only a sense of anxiety, but an additional boost in the eyes of the media. She examines how good she looks - perhaps Alex thought this was the reason for the way she had been dressed that morning she walked into her office, and as she reaches 5 minutes 15 seconds, the segment that follows is one of which touches upon something she had been dying to let out for years.

 _"So I understand you're working on your third book," the interviewer says from where they're seated opposite Piper._

 _"That's correct," the blonde smiles, nodding her head._

 _"Is there anything you could tell us about it?" they probe, lifting one eyebrow in a persuasive manner._

 _"Oh man," Piper laughs, smiling as she tilts her head back slightly, thinking through how she should address the question. "I guess I can reveal that it's a romantic novel - something I've never written before."_

 _"Can you give us a clue as to what we should expect?" the interviewer asks, knowing they may be pushing their luck._

 _Hesitating before she gives her answer, Piper debates whether now is the right time to speak up; pondering whether she should wait until she releases her book, and in briefly contemplating the recent - most painful - setback in her private life, she decides she deserves this: a chance at trying to establish her own source of happiness, starting with being honest about her authentic self._

 _"Well, it's a love story - one of which I think people need to hear… breakaway from the modern mainstream of romantic literature. It's something I've definitely missed out on when growing up - even up until now, and I believe that writing about an emotion rather than a person's gender will be a revolutionary change as to what kind of work we'll see being published in the future."_

 _Smiling, the interviewer adds: "This seems to be a project you're very passionate about."_

 _"It is, yeah," the blonde confirms, deciding to throw caution to the wind with her inhibitions. "Writing a love story between two women is something I'd thought about doing for a while now, and it wasn't until some things changed in my life for me to realise that I was doing this for me as well as fulfilling my curiosity regarding how people are going to react to my writing. It's opening a door to all kinds of avenues, and for me, it's a chance for me to really accept who I am - there's nothing wrong with me being attracted to women as well as men."_

Watching the remaining few seconds of the video, Piper sits in silence, grinning as she realises what she had achieved. She'd been a curious person all her life, yet it had taken her this long to finally accept herself. She'd had her fair share of crushes throughout the years, but had never fallen for someone. She often found it really could take a lot for her to connect with a person - to resonate with a person, and in experiencing every possible emotion - whether that being more familiar or less comfortable ones - with Alex, she began to explore how she wanted to be identified.

The blonde's fleeting thoughts are soon a memory as she snaps back into the present, returning her eyes back to her laptop screen and moving the mouse to ignite the device's full brightness.

Scrolling down the page, she scans the comments underneath the video, smiling at the kind incentives from some, laughing at some of the more thirsty comments from others, and taking no real notice of ones trying to promote backward-thinking ideals regarding gender and sexuality.

Opening a new tab, Piper opens up her Twitter page, deciding now is finally the time to assess how her honesty is being portrayed throughout the media. Having 2.1 million followers was something that always amazed the blonde - 2.1 million people were interested in her life and her work. However, at this moment in time, the figure was a daunting one - one of which was linked to the reason her notifications were flooding in by the minute, and one of the reasons she was trending on the popular social media platform.

Reluctantly scanning through the trending section, she is relieved to see the large majority of comments are positive: displaying genuine happiness at the fact that she would soon be releasing new material; offering forms of congratulations in having publicly addressed her sexuality; receiving propositions and marriage proposals from all sorts of people - most of which leave her chuckling to herself.

Feeling relieved by how her admission had been taken, Piper decides to compose a message of her own in response. Wanting to keep it simple yet effective, she takes a few moments to think, before typing out what she wanted to share with her - now 2.2 million - followers: a simple 'Thank you', followed by the emoticon of two women holding hands and an attached picture she had taken the day before. She's holding up a handwritten piece of scribbled paper - nothing important being revealed, looking somewhat happy to the eye as she smiles in the makeup-less image with round, light brown reading glasses covering her blue orbs.

She posts the same picture and caption onto her Instagram before putting away her laptop, smiling as she thinks ahead to what she has scheduled throughout the coming weeks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **I had planned this out to be a fairly unique concept compared to what sort of stories you may normally read on here, so I'm pleased some of you already seem to feel that way. These ideas are all coming from my own brain - no other source of inspiration for the plot other than the show itself, so I hope my writing continues to give off that intended impression throughout.**

* * *

A beam of light shining through the curtains wakes Alex from her sleep, leaving her in an instant state of irritation. She'd been working late the last few nights, and although taking a long work-free summer break was relaxing, she wasn't quite prepared for the backlog of work she would have to be catching up on.

Rolling onto her back, the brunette lays in silence, basking in the only time of day it seems as though she has no one bothering her or asking irrelevant questions about new pieces of work. That bubble soon shatters when an arm stretches across her stomach, resting under the space of the black tank top she had put on before bed, followed by a head nuzzling into her neck, letting out a sleepy sigh.

Smiling to herself, Alex looks at the hand resting on her stomach, and then turns her head slightly, looking to see if her companion is awake. Seeing that she isn't, the brunette tries to close her eyes and revel in her current state of comfort, yet it appears her shuffling had the opposite effect on her fiancée.

Feeling a vibrating sensation on the surface of the skin of her neck – indicating that she is being spoken to, Alex turns her head while smiling.

"What was that?"

"I said: stop moving," the woman says, pulling away from Alex's neck while opening her eyes.

"Sorry," the brunette chuckles, moving one final time so that she's lying on her side. "It's 7."

"What the hell, Alex. I don't have work until 10."

"I know, but I have work at 8; thus, I am awake."

"Can't you go in late today?" Sylvie asks, moving her hand along Alex's bony hip.

"I'm afraid not," Alex replies, giving an amused look. "I have some meetings today."

"You sure," the smaller woman asks again, moving her hand lower.

"Positive," Alex says, grabbing the roaming hand. "Later," she concludes, giving the woman next to her a peck on the lips before getting out of bed and heading towards the bathroom.

Waking up early was never something Alex enjoyed – in fact, she hated it, and worst of all, having a day full of meetings was something she found equally as unenjoyable.

By the time she reaches her office – managing to somehow avoid the flood of people that seem to think she's always available to answer queries regardless of the time of day, Alex sits down to check her notebook, looking through the order of her scheduled timetable. Thursdays are always busy for the brunette – something she choses to sacrifice so that she can leave early on Fridays, yet in looking through the number of appointments she has booked – 7 to be exact, it isn't until 5:30 that she has something to actually look forward to, given the fact that her last meeting of the day is paired with – noted down in a scribbled fashion - Piper.

She loves working with the younger woman; forever in awe of her thinking and brain processing, and up until recently, the brunette is extremely intrigued by where the blonde is going with her book. Given her status in the media, Piper – _by far_ – is her most well-established client, and more so, she considers her a friend – a best friend in fact. She revels in seeing the young blonde blossom from where she had found her as a struggling writer who seemed to be doubting her own abilities, to being confident and self-assured in her work, while not letting her fame get to her head.

"Change in your schedule, Alex," her assistant voices, having knocked on the door and peaked her head as Alex sits at her desk eating her lunch, having already sat through 3 meetings so far.

"Again?" Alex huffs while tilting her head back. "Alright – send it over. Thanks Allison," she then adds, noting the sympathetic smile she received before the door once again closes over.

The email notification fills her screen, and putting down her sandwich, Alex clicks open the page and then the most recent email in her inbox. In skimming through the email and seeing the name 'Piper Chapman', the word 'cancellation' and the phrase 'out of town' in the brief paragraph, Alex places her elbow onto the desk in a dramatic fashion, resting her head on her fingers.

It had been a month since she had been to the blonde's house for dinner, and in that space of time, she had hardly heard from the younger woman – only receiving a text every now and again about work related content. _Why didn't she tell me?_ , Alex thinks to herself when she realises that the blonde went out of her way to tell her assistant about the last minute change and not herself like she normally – albeit not very often - would have done.

Now in an even worse mood, Alex looks for an appropriate time to reschedule their meeting at some point in the next coming week and sends the information back over to her assistant. Being that she has another 20 minutes until her next client meeting, Alex grabs her mobile and calls Piper.

The phone line rings and after 4 rings it's finally answered.

"Hello," Piper huffs, sounding out of breath down the phone.

"Piper?" Alex says, sounding concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was running," the blonde admits. "What's up?"

"What do you mean 'what's up', Piper? Where are you?"

"I'm in LA."

"What the hell are you doing in LA? You were supposed to be meeting me."

"I know, and I rescheduled – weren't you told?"

"My assistant just informed me now, yes. Answer the question, Piper."

"I have a photoshoot for the book."

"The book we were meant to be checking through together," Alex pauses, running a hand through her hair. "I get the feeling you're avoiding me."

"I'm not avoiding you, Alex," Piper says down the phone, sounding preoccupied. "I don't have to tell you about everything that I'm doing you know."

"Well I'd appreciate it if you did when it concerns me and my work schedule. You do realise that I'm practically your boss in this situation, Piper, not your friend. I can't keep changing my day around because you're booking last minute appointments," the brunette admits, annoyed. "Are you even listening to me?" she asks due to Piper's lack of response. "Piper?"

"Sorry," the blonde apologises after the long period of silence. "Someone wanted a picture."

"You've got to be fucking with me," Alex says, reaching her limit.

"What? I couldn't just ignore them."

"And doing that to me is just fine? You need to start acting professional about this, Piper, because you're really starting to piss me off with your cancellations."

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say? Okay?"

"What else do you want me to say?"

"How about: I'm sorry, Alex, that I'm being irritating and am making your life at work a living hell. I promise I'll come and see you as soon as I'm back?"

"Don't be like that, Al. I am sorry – you know I can't do much about this. I'll be there next week – I promise."

Not wishing to entertain the conversation further, Alex hangs up the phone, opening her bottom desk drawer and throwing the phone inside. She knows she's overreacting over this whole thing – Piper had only cancelled twice throughout this last month, yet in being swamped with work, the brunette is finding everything overwhelming.

The rest of her meetings are relatively useful – none of which surprisingly added to her state of agitation, and being that Piper cancelled, when it reaches 5:30, Alex is done for the day. Well, that's what it says on paper, yet in suddenly being given all of this free time, she takes the chance to try and finish catching up on everything she is behind on.

It's the sound of her computer that jolts Alex awake. _How long was I sleeping for?_ , she thinks, looking around her dark office that is lit by a lamp post on outside shining through the window. Her computer screen, she sees, is illuminated by some of Piper's most recent work – something the brunette had read several times already despite finding no faults – not that she would want to admit that to anyone aloud. Biting down on her lip, she contemplates reading through the intimate passage again, yet decides there really is no need. In seeing that it's nearing 3am, Alex closes down her computer and looks for her phone, huffing at the thought of the guaranteed damage control she'll need to carry out given her current state of MIA.

Opening her bottom desk drawer, she checks her notifications and _by God_ were there a lot of them. Most were from Sylvie, which successfully make her eyes roll back, a few messages were from some clients, and one was from Nicky. Clicking on her best friend's text, Alex's mood softens at what she sees.

 _Nicky: I'm fucking done with this woman of yours, Vause. If she doesn't begin to shut the fuck up about you always being at work, then I'm going to rip her voice box out._

Laughing to herself at her friend's theatrics, she replies.

 _Alex: I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Nichols._

 _Alex: However, it's noted._

Directing her attention to the spam of calls and messages from the woman waiting at home for her, Alex lets Sylvie know what she's 'working late' via text, and goes to shut the drawer, but pauses upon having something catch her eye.

Lifting up a folder, the brunette is given a full view of a magazine – one of which she had reluctantly kept. Taking it out and turning it to a specific page, her jaw clenches as she observes the images a drunken Piper on a night out – one in particular where she's sloppily kissing a man – along with the headline: ' _Looks like_ P _iper Chapman's book sales aren't the only thing boosting at the minute!_ '.

The article had come out just after the release of the blonde's first book – a – although particularly minor in the end – scandal that her publicist managed to deal with very efficiently. Alex remembers the night clearly – seeing Piper drinking one too many, go off dancing with a man and then leave rather promptly in his company.

Letting out a heavy breath at the memory, Alex shuts the desk drawer and gets up. Walking over to the bin, she rolls up the magazine and throws it away – _that isn't something I need to worry about anymore_ , she reminds herself, before moving to lie down on the sofa at the side of her office. It isn't that often that the brunette finds herself staying overnight at work, but given the recent stresses that seem to be entering her life, it seems as though it might become more of a regular occurrence.

* * *

Feeling as though she's being watched, Alex is pulled out of her dreams and opens her eyes to see someone standing in her office. Reaching over to grab her glasses, she hooks the arms over her ears, trying to give off a sincere smile as she sees her fiancée standing in her office.

"How did you get in here?" Alex asks, voice rough with sleep.

"I turned the door handle…" Sylvie sasses, shifting on the spot. "You don't seem too happy to see me," she adds, looking down at the tall brunette lying down on the sofa.

 _I thought I told Allison to not let her in here_ , Alex thinks to herself, trying hard to hide the fact that this is not how she wished to start her morning."Well I have just woken up after having about 5 hours of sleep, so excuse me if I don't look too thrilled by your arrival."

"You work way too much, Alex. If it wasn't for the summer break you took, I don't think I'd ever see you."

"We've been through this, Sylvie," the brunette begins, sitting up on the sofa, which the red-haired woman takes as an invitation to approach. "I can't let my clients down."

"But you can let me down?"

"What by earning us an above average income? Yeah because that has shitty girlfriend written all over it."

Placing her legs either side of Alex's thighs, the red-haired woman settles into a straddling position.

"Don't you mean fiancée," she smiles, raising an eyebrow before leaning forward to connect their lips. "Mm I missed you last night."

Not wanting to argue, Alex sinks into the kiss, reciprocating gently, but doesn't give back the sentiment, instead refusing to allow the woman on top of her access to her mouth with her probing tongue.

Placing her hands on her fiancée's hips, Alex squeezes the skin, feeling herself getting worked up as lips move along her jaw and to the column of her neck.

Neither woman hears the knocking on the door, and when it opens, Alex certainly wasn't prepared for what she would see.

Upon lowering her head, the brunette sees a stunned – awkward even, looking Piper standing at the opening of her door, which causes her reflexes to slip into action. Moving her hands to Sylvie's shoulders, Alex pushes her fiancée away, in which she receives an additional look of confusion.

"Alex – what the-" Sylvie begins, but is cut off as the woman below her begins to speak.

"Hi, Piper, sorry I wasn't expecting you," Alex admits while trying to distance herself from her fiancée.

"It's fine," the blonde's voice comes out quietly. "I should have assumed you'd be busy."

Alex watches the younger woman and takes the opportunity to examine her. She's tired – incredibly so, the brunette notes, and if it weren't for the fact that she had a woman shuffling on top of her legs, she may have noticed the pain-filled expression covering the blonde's features along with her sunken shoulders and drained blue eyes.

"I can come back later," Piper offers. "It was nice seeing you again, Sylvie," she adds, attempting a close-lipped smile before leaving the room.

Springing forwards, Alex moves to go after her, but with two hands being placed on her shoulders, pushing down hard, she lands with her back to the sofa.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sylvie asks with darkened eyes.

"I've gotta start my work," Alex says, not wanting to admit that her schedule for the day is relatively empty. "We can continue this later over dinner?"

"You said that the other day."

"Yeah, but this time I promise," the brunette tries to persuade, smiling.

"Gosh I can't wait to marry you," Sylvie voices, grabbing Alex's face one final time to fuse their lips together before getting up to leave the building. "See you at home?"

"Be there or be square," the brunette tries to flirt, despite feeling as though a large bucket of iced water had just been poured all over her body.

* * *

"Why the fuck aren't you answering, Alex!" Piper says more so to herself than anyone else as she stands outside the airport in the early morning light waiting for her Uber. She had flown back from her photoshoot in LA earlier than originally planned, and despite how many times she tried to persuade herself differently, it had everything to do with feeling guilty over her conversation with Alex.

Deciding that telling Alex's assistant would make the entire process easier was a decision the blonde never thought would have come to bite her back in the ass. Getting on an earlier plane was no trouble - the photoshoot had already been completed, but throughout the entire flight, no matter how many times she thought of addressing the never-ending thread of throats floating around in her head to the brunette, she couldn't see an outcome that didn't result in ruining the chances of her book being published, as well as ruining their relationship entirely.

Being that she travelled light, when her Uber arrived, the blonde directed the driver straight to Alex's work place, wanting to make sure that everything was okay between them before she thought of discussing anything else. She knew Fridays were Alex's 'free days' as she liked to call them, and although it was indeed quite early, the blonde was sure that Alex would at least be making her way into work. So as she walks into the building, greeting several familiar faces on the way, Piper feels relatively optimistic, well - that was until she walked in on something rather crushing.

This isn't how she'd envisioned meeting Alex's girlfriend - _fiancée_ \- for the fourth time - _well, it's better than it being at the altar_ , she goes on to remind herself. At first, it seems as though Alex doesn't look invested in the kiss, but in hearing a groan when lips move to her neck along with observing the brunette's hands grip at the flesh of the woman resting on top of her, she has to look away. This can't be happening - not after what had happened the day before over the phone, and taking one last look at Alex before she turns to leave, Piper sees the brunette's eyes shoot open, seeming as though she's switched to a mode of panic.

Throughout the brief interaction, Piper does her best to hide how the situation is making her feel - she may have come across as uncomfortable, but she'd rather that than the truthful alternative. Worst of all, the internal debate as to whether she should address Sylvie or not is one in which the blonde eventually gives in to - she may as well _try_ and be nice to the red-haired woman if she's the one Alex is choosing to spend the rest of her life with.

Being that she ordered a cab, Piper knew she couldn't just leave the building and walk home given her status as a celebrity, so doing what she does best, she walks along the corridor, into the - conveniently - empty toilets, and tries to compose herself after locking herself in a cubicle. She refuses to run away from the situation - well, not entirely, and can only hope that the couple hadn't continued where they left off after her quick departure.

Other than the imagery of walking in on Alex and Sylvie going at it for the second time, something else is running through the blonde's head. Upon leaving the room, she noticed a familiar looking magazine - the issue being one that she'd - unfortunately - never forget for the rest of her days. _Why did Alex still own that? Did she keep it?_ That moment was never a high point in her career, but how could she blame herself when she had a perfectly good reason behind acting out like she did. Of course she had never revealed the real reason as to why she did what she did that evening; she's surprised that no one close to her had ever cottoned on given the timing of the article's publishing and the agitating addition to their group upon that night.

Exiting the cubicle and looking in the mirror - checking that her mascara hasn't ran excessively, the bathroom door suddenly opens and - _ever so surprisingly_ \- Alex enters.

"There you are," she says, sounding as though she's out of breath.

"Did you run here or something?" Piper asks, not looking away from where she's wiping her eye in the mirror.

"Mm-hmm. Something like that."

"How did you find me?"

"Allison."

 _I knew I shouldn't have spoken to her_ , Piper thinks, before turning away from the mirror to face the taller woman.

"Listen, Piper, I'm sorry about earlier-" Alex begins, but in seeing the redness of her counterparts eyes, she pauses, before digressing. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," Piper says sarcastically, moving to walk past the brunette. "Shall we do this in your office, or do you still have company?"

"Pipes-" Alex pleads, gripping at the blonde's forearm as she tried to walk past. "What's the matter. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know I can," Piper honestly answers, before diverting from that entirely. "I'm just tired from travelling. I came home early to apologise."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I did. Or at least I needed to for myself. You're right - I need to act more professional about this whole thing," the blonde begins, trying to sound as though she's alluding to the words Alex had spoken the day before on the phone, and not the mantra she'd been telling herself over having to control her feelings.

"You know I didn't mean that. I was stressed."

"Because of me, Alex. You shouldn't be stressed out - that should be me feeling that way. I mean, I'm the one writing a fucking book," she chuckles.

"Why don't we talk this out over breakfast," Alex voices, sensing that this conversation isn't getting anywhere at this current moment in time.

Looking into Alex's tired green eyes, Piper takes pity on the older woman, deciding that she can do this; she can act platonic around the older woman - she's been doing it for nearly 3 years, so carrying that on for a bit longer won't bring her any harm.

* * *

"So I'm not allowed to know the contents of this photoshoot?" Alex asks while taking a bite of her pancakes.

"Nope," Piper admits, chuckling at the maple syrup drizzling down the brunette's chin. "You've got a little something going on over there," she reveals, wondering if her counterpart has noticed.

"Where?" Alex asks, looking down at her body assuming she had dropped some food.

"Let me," Piper says, leaning over and using her thumb to catch the drip of syrup on the edge of the older woman's chin, sliding it upwards until she reaches just below her bottom lip, collecting the sticky substance. "There you go," she comments politely, relaxing back in her seat as she picks up her napkin and cleans her thumb.

"Thanks," Alex finally answers, seeming as though she's lost in a daze as she gazes into Piper's blue oceans, mouth slightly agape.

"Let's just say I think this one will be a real crowd pleaser," the blonde continues, acting as though nothing had just happened.

"It will be - it's you. Everyone loves you," Alex smiles, happy for the younger woman's growing success.

 _Except you_ , Piper thinks, yet instead smiles, all the while appreciating the gesture.

"So how've you been?," the blonde changes the topic, feeling as though she's missed talking to the brunette about something other than her book; conversation with Alex had always been effortless.

"Work's been both keeping me on my feet and fucking up my sleeping pattern; Nicky won't get off my back about going out tonight, and Sylvie won't shut the fuck up about wedding planning," the brunette admits, running a hand through her long, dark hair.

Taking a deep breath, Piper fights the urge to close her eyes over - _it was bound to come up_ , she reminds herself, knowing she can't keep reacting like this whenever Alex talks about or briefly mentions her wedding.

"I guess she just can't wait to become Mrs Vause," Piper tries to joke despite cringing inside at the thought of someone else taking Alex's last name. "What? Too much?" she asks, given the look of disgust the brunette gives her.

"It's just… I don't know if I'm ready," Alex admits quietly, diverting her eyes down to her hands.

"You've been together for over 2 years, Al. What aren't you ready for?"

"I don't know? Commitment? Her? It's hard to rummage through my own thoughts sometimes when she's always just… there. It can be overwhelming."

Piper watches the older woman, wondering how long she'd been feeling this way. A small - okay, large - part of her feels a sudden rush of hope being that Alex is having her doubts when it comes to marrying Sylvie, but that doesn't mean that it has anything to do with her. Not wanting to let her own feelings get in the way of Alex's happiness, the blonde decides to offer advice she deems constructive; she cares for the older woman after all.

"Maybe you're working too much."

"Ugh, please - now you," Alex groans, this time putting her head in her hands.

"I'm not telling you to change your schedule, Al," Piper begins, smiling as the brunette's fingers widen, giving a small pathway for her vision. "You should get out more. Go out this evening with Nicky. Spend some time with your friends and don't feel guilty if you have to cancel our 10am on a Monday because you're still hanging in there."

"Will you come with me?" Alex asks, moving her hands away from her face entirely.

"Hmm?"

"This evening. I want you to come with me."

"Are you sure, Al? I don't want to intrude."

"You're never intruding, Piper. And I'm sure Lorna would love to see you."

"First round on you?" the blonde asks, smiling.

"If that's what it takes," Alex agrees, mirroring Piper's toothy smile.

* * *

Even from outside the club in which Alex had sent her the address for, Piper can hear its loud music. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited for this evening; it would hopefully help her take her mind off Alex and the sticky string of issues she had recently revealed - perhaps being in the presence of their friends along with consuming copious amounts of alcohol will make everything much easier.

Piper had picked out her outfit especially. Despite planning on having a fun time and focusing on good company rather than a particular person, she wanted to at least impress Alex - especially now she knows she's suffering with some commitment issues of her own.

The dress is black in colour and fits to her body like a second skin. It's a sinfully short number that not only reveals the sculpted muscles of her upper back, but a decent proportion of her chest, which is lifted by the push up bra she had selected to wear. Her tanned legs are on display, aided by the matching heels on her feet, and were she under any other circumstance, the outfit would have remained in her wardrobe.

She gets let in quickly - somehow managing to avoid being recognised, as being a member of Nicky's guest list instantly gets her let into the VIP section.

In hearing the wild-haired woman's voice from a far, the blonde knows which table the group are situated at, and while upon her approach her look catch everyone's eye, her heart, in turn, drops simultaneously, _how could I be such a dumbass?_

Sitting at the end of the booth is Alex - looking as stunning as ever, with her arm wrapped around the shoulder of her fiancée, laughing at something that was whispered into her ear. Piper knows what her face must look like, and if for a moment she thought she would be able to get through the night without so much as thinking about Alex, she was wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay - this will be the last update here until my finish my other story. I had these chapters already mostly completed, so didn't really want to wait to get them out.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews!**

* * *

"Piper!" Lorna exclaims, getting up from where she was seated at one end of the booth, hugging the tall blonde.

Laughing at her friend's dramatics, Piper returns the hug, genuinely happy to be seeing her friend after so long.

"How've you been?" the blonde asks when they pull away from the embrace.

"Oh, you know - same old same old, but I believe that it's you that has some explaining to do," the brunette claims, smirking while raising an eyebrow.

Suddenly panicked as to what the smaller woman is talking about, Piper doesn't know how to respond, but she doesn't get the chance to as the conversation is interrupted.

"How's that book of yours coming along, blondie?" Nicky interrupts from her seat, shouting loudly.

"Nearly finished, which you should know considering I've sent you all the pages," the blonde chuckles at the wild-haired woman's obvious early state of intoxication.

Shifting her eyes around the booth while Lorna tries to stop Nicky from embarrassing herself, Piper's sight finally lands on Alex, who is staring directly at her, clearly ignoring whatever's being said to her by the people around them.

Offering a small close-lipped smile, Piper looks down at the table and sees that everyone must have brought a recent round in, so in excusing herself, she heads over to the bar to purchase a drink of her own.

"Thought the first round was on me?" comes a rough voice, followed by the image of Alex moving to stand next to her while leaning on the side of the bar.

"I didn't want to bother you," the blonde replies bluntly, doing a bad job at hiding her anger.

"Nothing you do could ever bother me, Pipes," Alex admits, sounding sincere.

"Sure, Alex," the blonde dismisses, not waiting for a reply as she instead orders her drinks.

The evening is in full swing by the time everyone has drunk a fair amount; Piper no longer seems to care about what she's doing or what she's saying. She had, however, managed to somehow hold her tongue when it came to speaking about Alex, and after growing tired of watching the brunette sitting in her world of confusing happiness with Sylvie, Piper excuses herself from the table and moves towards the dance floor.

The music is thumping, and it's the first time that evening that Piper allows herself to forget about her struggles, forget about her deadlines, and - most importantly - forget about Alex. It's a mission she's been looking to overcome, and although it seems as though it's something she's only able to achieve when under the influence, at least it gives her some time to enjoy herself without thinking about the consequences of her actions.

It isn't long until the blonde feels a body against her back and a set of hands roam to eventually land on her waist. The feeling is one the blonde hadn't felt in a long time; being in someone's company romantically is something that had only happened sparingly since her career as a well-established writer had taken off. No matter how hard she tried not to, she imagined the hands belonged to Alex, that the breath on the side of her neck belonged to Alex, that the body she was provocatively grinding against belonged to Alex. The low, yet still feminine, voice whispering in her ear added to the heated atmosphere, and when the plump lips grace her neck, Piper's head tilts back as her body arches backwards, fusing their bodies together even closer.

Not wanting the person to leave any marks along her neck, the blonde turns around, and has to blink twice to remind herself that the dark-haired woman now standing opposite her wasn't the person she had been thinking about. Before she allows herself to drown in her thoughts of the older woman, Piper smirks and continues dancing, unknowing that she had gained herself an audience.

With her arms resting on the mysterious woman's shoulders, Piper leans in to connect their lips when she suddenly feels another set of hands rest on her sides and pull her backwards. Losing her balance slightly, she falls back into a strong set of arms, and as she turns her body around, her nose is filled with a smell it will always deem as what can only be described as irresistible.

"What're you doing? I was dancing," the blonde slurs as she's dragged away from the dance floor and into an empty VIP room that is closed to the public on this occasion. "Get off of me!" Piper drunkenly struggles against the brunette's strength, feeling even more angry with her agent than she was earlier upon her arrival.

"What're you doing?" Alex asks, turning the blonde around yet still keeping a firm grip on her upper arms. "Do you not remember what happened last time?"

"I'm an adult, Alex. I can do whatever I want with whoever I want," Piper spits out, angry at the older woman's nerve.

"You're clearly not thinking straight right now," Alex voices, stepping closer to the blonde.

"I'm perfectly fine," Piper replies, placing her hands on the older woman's shoulders, feeling the rippling muscles under her black v-neck. "I think you're the one with the problem here."

"Don't turn this on me," Alex defends herself, tone rising.

"You're the one who came to me for advice about your commitment issues and then you bring her here with you so you can practically fuck at the table," Piper shouts, the alcohol in her system not doing a good job at hiding her anger or jealousy.

"That doesn't mean to just go around throwing yourself at people!" Alex angrily announces, pushing the blonde backwards so that she is pressed up against the wall; and if it weren't for the large consumption of alcohol she had ingested, Piper may have been able to identify the burning jealousy behind the older woman's dark, green eyes.

"I was having fun - I would hardly call that throwing myself at people. And it was only one woman, not a fucking army."

"You know she only wants you for your body," Alex says, trying to continue her line of argument.

"Well maybe I'd like someone to take an interest in my body once in a while," Piper argues back through clenched teeth, angry that she's been put down for her actions by Alex of all people.

"I won't be there to pick up the pieces, Piper," Alex grunts out, seeming as though she's losing her cool.

"I'm not expecting you to," she pauses. "I'm sure you're fiancée's wondering where you are, so if you'll excuse me, I have places to be," the blonde concludes, trying to get out of Alex's loosened hold.

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"Just let me go, Alex," Piper says, avoiding the question.

"No - what's your fucking problem with me, Piper? Why can't you just accept that I'm looking out for you? You've been so off with me lately and I don't know how much longer I can take it."

"If you can't take it any longer, why don't you just leave?" the blonde comments before lowering her head downwards. "I don't know if I can take this any longer, Alex. I can't keep seeing you knowing that everything's going to change."

"What're you talking about?" Alex voice softens, letting go of the blonde's arms to move them to her shoulders, using her right hand to cup the blonde's jaw to make their eyes connect.

"Alex… I-" Piper begins, about to let it all out - all of her emotions, but she's caught in the older woman's gaze; lost in her green orbs. Leaning forward, she rests her forehead against the brunette's, feeling her heavy breathing on her face. "I think I've drank too much," she diverts, choosing to instead savour the moment.

"I think so too," Alex smiles, yet not moving back from where their heads are fused together. "Pipes-" she goes on to whisper, to which Piper nearly crumbles, feeling her resolve disappear in hearing her the nickname Alex had reserved for only her being said so quietly in an unfamiliar tone of voice.

Moving the rest of her head forwards, Piper lines up her mouth with Alex's, anticipating rejection at any moment, but in feeling no protests from the brunette and instead observing her eyes close over slowly, when the feeling of their lips brushing against each other lightly shoots through her system, the blonde panics, instead feeling a loud huff of warm breath paint her face as she pulls back away, refusing to commit to a kiss knowing it would be a one-sided affair.

"I think you should go."

"Piper-"

"Please," the blonde voices, pushing her open palms against the older woman's sternum lightly.

Dipping her head slightly in a nodding fashion as she licks her bottom lip, Alex complies, removing herself from the blonde's body entirely and leaving her to file through her thoughts on her own.

Piper stands against the wall in disbelief, not being able to get her head around the fact that she had nearly kissed the older woman, and if she could recall, it seemed as though Alex was welcoming it to happen.

Knowing that she can't spend too much longer thinking over the situation, Piper leaves the room with the aim of going home. As she sees her friends, she goes to approach their table, even observing that Alex is now sitting next to Nicky with no sign of Sylvie in sight. Upon going to announce her departure, the blonde trips, and, for the second time that evening, she loses her balance, except this time landing in the hands of a familiar - yet not the desired - brunette.

"Are you okay?" the woman Piper recognises from the dance floor asks, smiling as she wraps a hand around her waist.

"Yeah. Thanks for catching me," Piper mumbles, feeling tired all of a sudden.

"You can fall for me anytime," the woman winks, obviously attempting to flirt with her.

If she had looked over, Piper would have seen a particular set of green eyes boring into her soul, eagerly watching the interaction, but for once she chooses to go with her gut, no longer feeling comfortable in her current environment.

"I need to go home," she voices, moving towards the club's main door.

"Here," the other woman says, linking their hands, "let me."

Surprisingly feeling welcomed to the contact, Piper lets the woman guide her to the exit, and upon reaching an empty spot on the pavement, she breaks away the hand connection.

"Thanks, but I can take it from here," the blonde admits, holding her hand out for a cab.

"Are you sure? I don't want you going home alone," the woman responds, in a motive that even Piper can tell is code for 'let me take you back to my place'.

As a cab pulls over, Piper waits to pull open the door and get in. Giving the driver some brief instructions, she looks over at the woman on the street, giving her a disgusted look.

"You don't know me," she voices, before slamming the door shut.

* * *

The following two months were isolating for the blonde. Not only had she travelled home to see her family and visited some of her college friends, she had finally managed to - given that she used every spare second of her day to put pen to paper - finish her novel.

She was meeting with Alex for - what she hoped would be the final time - before the finished work would be sent off to the editorial and publishing team ran by Alex's best friend, Nicky.

Neither herself or the brunette had addressed what had happened between them in the club the last time they went out together, and a part of the blonde wishes that Alex doesn't remember, but given the brunette's strong tolerance to alcohol, she doubts that would ever happen.

So as she knocks on the door and hears a deep, 'come in' from the other side, Piper smiles at her agent, who looks good considering it's 10am, and notes that she is sitting on her sofa instead of occupying the space on the other side of her desk.

"Morning," Piper says while approaching the other spare space on the sofa.

"Good morning to you too, Chapman. Have you got the goods with you?"

"Oh I've always got the goods with me," Piper laughs, handing over the final chapter of her novel - one of which Alex had already prior read ahead of the meeting from an emailed version, but still wanted a hard copy to keep.

"I really love it, Piper. The entire premise of what you've written defies all of the expectations I had of you at the start of all this."

"I appreciate that. Thank you, Alex," Piper responds, feeling her cheeks blush at the older woman's admission.

"I sent everything over to Nicky a couple of hours ago, so her publishers can start getting that together on her end."

"About time," Piper sits back, letting out a relieved sigh.

"But that partly isn't why I brought you here today. I thought we could talk about… you know… what happened. I wanted to apologise for how I acted."

"Alex - you didn't do anything wrong. You stopped me from getting into a pretty fucked up situation, and if we're going to be apologising, I should be the one taking the lead with that."

"I'm sorry if I came across as a little harsh with you," Alex continues, ignoring the blonde's last comment.

"You didn't," Piper breathes out, wondering if their near-kiss was going to be addressed.

"I-" they both begin at the same time, chuckling at their poor timing.

"You go first," Alex says.

"No - it's fine. Yours is probably more important anyway," the blonde counteracts, shuffling awkwardly on the sofa, but in witnessing Alex's stubborn nature, she continues. "I was going to ask why you're not sitting at your desk like you normally are for meetings?"

"Well, I'm quite liking my new second home over here," Alex admits, turning sideways to face the blonde while running her hand along the top of the leather seat.

"How is your office sofa your second home?"

"Sylvie and I have had a few misunderstandings recently so I've been sleeping here," Alex admits, looking as though she's hiding something.

"You know you can always stay at my place, Al. I have the room."

"I couldn't ask that of you."

"What were you arguing about then?" Piper asks, hoping to God that the brunette's answer will sway in her favour.

"I told her that I don't feel ready to get married so soon, and let's just say she didn't take it well."

"What was her reaction?"

"She went off on a tangent about some dumb shit, trying to blame me for irrelevant things. Yeah, we're not exactly in the best of places right now."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No you're not," Alex challenges, looking into Piper's blue eyes.

 _Fuck - she knows_ , Piper panics, trying to think of a way out of the situation.

"I mean, I'm not exactly feeling sorry for myself either," Alex admits, tilting her head backwards while smirking, "not after what happened."

"What… what're you talking about?"

"You don't have to pretend with me, Piper. We both know what nearly happened."

Piper gulps, knowing that Alex is finally addressing their near lip-lock.

"I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?"

"Of course not," Alex smiles, reaching over a hand to grip Piper's free one, linking their fingers together. "Not when we nearly kissed, anyway," she reveals, rubbing her thumb along the blonde's smooth skin.

Fighting the instinct to shut her eyes, Piper looks down at their joined hands and then back up into Alex's green orbs. "What're you doing, Alex?"

"I don't know," the brunette replies, and given the look on her face, Piper knows she's being honest. "I know it shouldn't affect me, but…" she pauses, almost as though she's about to reveal a secret. "I can't stop thinking about it. How you could just leave with that other woman and not have a second thought about what had just happened a few minutes before."

With her mouth now ajar, Piper feels her heartbeat quicken - hearing Alex expressing her jealousy regarding seeing her leave with another woman was not something she had ever expected.

"I didn't sleep with or kiss her. Hell, I didn't even go home with her, Al."

"That's not the point, Piper. It's the fact that…" Alex once again pauses, clearly struggling with trying to say what she's really feeling. "I don't want to see you like that with people."

"Says the one that's fucking engaged," Piper blurts out, trying to establish what it is Alex is really trying to say. "I have feelings too."

"I know. I know," Alex agrees, shuffling so that they're now seated in a closer proximity, thighs touching.

"No you don't know, Alex, because when I go to sleep, you're the last thing I think about; when I wake up, you're the first thing I think about; when I see you and Sylvie together, I feel like I'm worthless; and whenever I'm alone with you, it takes everything I have to not grab your face and kiss you into oblivion. I've tried so fucking long - I really have, to try and move past it and let you live your life with her, but it's just so fucking hard for me. So, no. You don't get to talk to me about things being hard. Not when everything and everyone in your life is perfect," Piper rants emotionally, unsurprised by the tears falling down her cheeks.

"Pipes-" is all Alex can say, clearly distressed by the blonde's monologue.

"I'm sorry," Piper pulls her hand away and gets up. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Piper," Alex follows, reaching out for the blonde.

" _Please_ ," Piper holds up her hands pleadingly at the feeling of rejection. "Don't touch me."

The voiceless answer from the older woman - despite the look of guilt plastered across her face - gives Piper all the confirmation she needs, and as she leaves the room in her emotional state, the thought of the look on Alex's face is one that breaks her heart even further.

* * *

She's ignored Alex's calls and texts for the last 5 hours since she had walked out on her, instead opting for her own company and a bottle of vodka. The sound of the clicking clock in her living room fills the atmosphere - one of which Piper finds somewhat calming… well, calming enough to prevent the onset of another tearful breakdown.

Here serene silent atmosphere is broken by the sound of her apartment buzzer going. She initially ignores it - _it must be Alex_ , she concludes, but considering it's 3pm on a Monday - the time in which it's common for deliveries to arrive, she gets up, listens to the call, and lets the delivery man up, questioning what it could be internally.

Upon answering the door, she is given a large white cardboard envelope - something she has absolutely no idea about. After closing the door and heading back to her seat in the living room, Piper opens the large envelope, only to find another small white one inside.

Opening the smaller one, she pulls out a small piece of paper, why the fuck would you deliver a piece of paper to someone?, she thinks, and upon unfolding it, her hands begin to shake as her flood of emotions begins to - once again - burst.

Printed in a gold, cursive font - contrasting to its white background, is an invitation - a wedding invitation to be exact, reading:

' _You are invited to celebrate with Sylvie and Alex as they celebrate their marriage. 13th April 2019 at 2pm. We'd love to see you there._ '

Regardless of how many times she reads it over, never in her life did Piper Chapman think a small, cheaply printed piece of paper could rip her resolve into shreds.


	4. Chapter 4

**I know what I said before, but I've been feeling really motivated towards this story, and am in the process of writing my other one at the same time. Keep letting me know what you think in the reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Fuck!" Alex shouts as she listens to the door slam, standing helplessly in the middle of her office.

She exactly doesn't know how long she'd been standing on that one spot staring into the distance while thinking over everything the blonde had just relayed; things didn't go down the way the brunette had planned them to. In trying to seek a solution by heading over to where her phone was resting, Alex attempts to call the blonde several times yet has to leave an equal amount of - what must have sounded like - desperate voicemails as her levels of guilt skyrockets through the roof.

She wanted to go after the blonde - desperately so, but knew that wouldn't be the wisest of decisions at this current moment in time; however she did know one thing for certain: she needed to get out of her office, clear her head for a while. Moving over to her computer - making sure it's turned off, Alex picks up her belongings in a hurried fashion before leaving the room, ensuring she remembers to lock the door behind her.

"Isn't it a bit early for lunch?" Alex's assistant, Allison, points out, in seeing the stressed woman wrestle with her coat sleeve, seeming as though she's in a rush.

"I'm heading out and won't be coming back at any point today. Could you please cancel anything I've pencilled in. Thanks," the brunette replies, managing to finally get her coat on and give her assistant a smile while heading for the nearest staircase.

The drive home felt like an eternity; she stopped at every traffic light; it seemed as though everyone else on the roads were displaying questionable driving skills; and the build-up of her frustration didn't help with the fact that she was stuck behind a learner driver.

Finally managing to reach the her building, Alex gets out the car and heads for the apartment she shares with Sylvie, hoping to God that the other woman isn't in.

Upon opening the door and walking around the space to check if anyone's in, Alex finds the silence she was looking for. Putting her coat on the back of the sofa, she walks into the kitchen along with grabbing a bottle of scotch and a small glass. Pouring herself a drink, she leans against the counter, contemplating everything that had just happened throughout the last hour.

After practically downing her drink, she moves to the bedroom she shares with her fiancée and heads for the shower. However, upon scanning the bed, she notices a laptop belonging to Sylvie that has the screen slightly open - a habit of her companion that often leaves her feeling rather irritated.

Walking around the bed to move the item, Alex's thumb brushes the touchpad, which, in turn, illuminates the screen. On any other occasion, she would put the device away, not feeling as though she needs to pry into her significant other's private business, yet in seeing several emails flooding the inbox that appears on the screen, Alex is left curious.

Looking through the messages her fiancée is receiving, the brunette is left confused, wondering why so many people - some of which she had never even heard of - are sending what seemed to be an answer to an argent RSVP. She frowns upon seeing one from a business - one of which she isn't familiar with, and as she reads the contents of the paragraph which alludes to a 'wedding', 'invitations' and a 'request', she - now rather angrily - opens the attachment at the top of the page, fuming when she sees and reads through the results.

 _Perfect timing_ , she thinks when the sound of the front door followed by the calling of her name echoes throughout the apartment. Following the noise, she storms downstairs, laptop still in hand.

"What're you doing home so early?" Sylvie asks while taking off her shoes, not looking up at the woman on the staircase as she walks past and into the kitchen.

Moving off the stairs without giving an answer, Alex follows the red-haired woman, and when Sylvie finally turns around, her face drops as she asks: "Why are you holding my laptop?"

"What the fuck is all of this?" Alex counters loudly while turning her arms sideways so that the list of emails is present.

"It's an email account. Are you not familiar with one of those?" the smaller woman sasses back sarcastically in question.

"Why the fuck have people - some of which are complete randomers to me - been sent an invitation to our wedding, which, by the way, I had no fucking idea about."

"You know we're getting married, Alex," Sylvie scoffs, trying to lighten as well as brush off the situation.

"Cut the shit. This goes against everything we spoke about," the brunette argues, placing the laptop down onto the kitchen counter to her right. "You know this is way too soon for me."

"This relationship isn't just about you, Alex," the smaller woman begins, raising her voice. "You're always working and are never home. I thought it would be a nice surprise for you."

"So let me get this straight - you thought that organising our wedding by yourself without so much as telling me you were doing it - despite the fact that I told you I'm not ready for us to be getting married anytime soon, would be a good surprise? Are you sure it isn't you that needs these fucking glasses," the brunette rants, shouting louder than she had been before, concluding with repeatedly shifting her head sideways while pointing at her glasses to emphasise her point.

"Fuck you, Alex."

"No - fuck you. How did you think you could get away with this without me finding out? Are you that fucking stupid?" the brunette continues, the veins in her neck throbbing against the surface of her skin - a physical indication of her increasing anger levels.

Before the smaller woman gets the chance to reply, the laptop makes a noise, signalling that a new email has been received.

Beating Alex to it, the red-haired woman pulls the laptop closer to inspect the message, laughing loudly at what she sees.

"What?" Alex asks, not in the mood for her fiancée's excuses.

"It seems as though we have someone who can't make the date," Sylvie says through a smile, moving away from the laptop and towards the opposite counter, leaning against it as she folds her arms over.

"Who?" Alex asks, eyebrows creasing as she frowns, and in seeing that she isn't going to get an answer anytime soon, she moves towards the laptop, bending forward while she angles the screen to view the typed piece of correspondence.

 _Hi - thanks for the invite, but you can count me out. I'm away for personal reasons._

 _Piper._

Feeling her heart sink in her chest, Alex fights back the urge to respond to the email, tell the blonde to answer the phone; it's all one big misunderstanding, but in hearing the laughter from her fiancée, the brunette clenches her jaw, hoping that she doesn't do or say something that she's going to regret.

"She would have been such a shitty bridesmaid anyway… too busy complaining about the colour scheme rather than actually doing whatever it is she's meant to be doing. I don't even know why you work with her, Alex - she's stuck up, she's boring and what she does with her life is practically a ball of uselessness. No wonder she's still single… maybe she came out like that because she's running out of ideas," Sylvie voices to the brunette's back, venting out her opinions on the blonde.

"Shut up," Alex voices calmly.

"Excuse me?"

"I said shut up!" Alex shouts, turning around. "Don't talk about her like that."

"I can talk about her however I like."

"Not around me you fucking can," Alex says, taking a step closer to the smaller woman. "I swear to God, Sylvie, I will fucking lose it if you say another word about her."

"Oh yeah, what're you gonna do? Go and marry her instead?" the red-haired woman asks, yet in seeing Alex tense up at what she had just said, a cunning smile covers her face. "Or did you already miss out on your chance at doing that? Is that what it is? You've been obsessed with her all this time… always making sure you're working on new projects with her… staying behind late with her… all so you can make up for what you're missing out on."

"You know, I've never really noticed how much of a condescending prick you are," Alex replies, not wanting to address the elements of accuracy her fiancée's previous statement entailed.

"Is that all you have to say? That I'm a prick? Well, if I'm a prick I wonder what that makes that precious fucking Piper of yours," Sylvie goads, smiling as she watches Alex back away, assuming her line of argument is dying down.

"You know - I thought I could do this with you, but I can't. And you know what? I don't even feel guilty about it. About that..." the brunette voices, turning to pick up Sylvie's laptop, "about this…" she adds, throwing it down onto the ground while watching the smaller woman's reaction to it smashing into pieces, "and what I'm about to do."

Despite the shouting, name calling, and list of profanities coming from the woman who had just been the victim of her extreme wrath, Alex picks up her car keys and leaves the house, not looking back as she gets into her car and drives off with a one-track mind as to what directions she needs navigate towards.

* * *

Having spent the last minute knocking on the door frantically, Alex begins to wonder whether she's ever going to be let in, knowing she must be giving the blonde a shock at the fact that she didn't have to buzz up due to becoming somewhat friendly with the staff working in the lobby.

"Piper please just hear me out," Alex pleads, feeling as though she's talking to a piece of wood, before shutting one eye and looking into the peephole. Seeing a mass of blonde hair blocking the view, she knows that she isn't talking to herself, yet in also knowing that Piper is on the other side with her back to the door, she has come to realise how much it is the younger woman has been affected by the situation.

"I didn't get the chance to give my side of the story," Alex says before adding in a low voice. "I know you're there, Pipes. I can see your hair."

After saying that, Alex observes the blonde remove herself from the door as though she'd been hit by running lava, seeming both defeated and conflicted at the same time.

The door slowly opens, and Alex has to fight back voicing a gasp at seeing the blonde's form.

Her light hair is tied up in a messy bun - obviously distorted in shape due to lying down; her blue orbs lack the spark they generally give off; the bags under her eyes are deep, shadowing the redness from where she's obviously been crying; her cheeks are flushed with the stains of her tears, and her torso is covered with a white tank top opposed to her lower half hugging a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms.

"Hi," Alex begins, not knowing what to say having seen the state of the woman before her.

"What do you want?" Piper asks coldly, the emotion in her voice evident.

"I need to talk to you, Piper."

"I think you said everything you needed to. Or rather, you just said nothing which - to me - speaks volumes," the blonde states, closing over the door.

"Wait!" Alex exclaims, putting her foot through the wooden threshold, preventing it from shutting. "I'm not leaving until you let me in and hear me out."

"I don't think I really need to listen to what you have to say, Alex. You've made yourself pretty clear about how you feel."

"Please."

The blonde eventually gives in as the tension against the brunette's foot is immediately alleviated, allowing her to push open the door.

Alex knows what her reaction must have looked like. She couldn't even begin to imagine how she would be feeling if the tables were turned and she were in Piper's shoes.

The blonde leads them into her living room, which is near pitch black bar one candle resting on a mantelpiece - a fitting atmosphere for how she is feeling, and takes a seat on the large sofa, to which Alex follows in suit.

"Pipes-"

"If you're going to tell me to back off, just get it over with because I don't think I can take another rejection from you, Alex."

"Another?"

"Look - I get it. You're getting married. You've already found that special someone and you're just being nice, but you don't need to keep looking out for me, Alex, because it's you that I need to be saved from. You're what I've always been looking for."

"You're right. I have found my special someone," the brunette begins, reaching out an arm to keep Piper from running off after seeing her flinch at the confirming statement. "I met her just over 3 years ago in a quaint coffee shop, and albeit under different circumstances over time, I knew I had at that very moment."

Piper, lowering her head and shutting her eyes, thinks back to the time in which she had assumed their connection had been instant - mutual, while refusing to allow her mind to drift to where she was all but proven wrong.

"I know I went down a few wrong paths, but I'd always imagined this is where i'd be," Alex admits, rubbing her thumb over Piper's hand.

"Engaged to a different woman while watching another one cry?" is all Piper adds, not knowing whether the brunette was just trying to pity her.

"With you."

"Alex - don't say that. You don't have to try and make me feel better," the blonde stutters out, clearly affected by the words flowing out of the older woman's mouth.

"I'm not doing that, Pipes. I wouldn't dream of lying to you about this."

Piper - now overwhelmed by the words she's hearing and the skin-on-skin contact between their hands, gets up from the chair, moving so that she's a comfortable distance from the brunette, still turning to face her.

"I don't think you get it, Alex. I've been struggling for the past few years just being around you knowing that it's someone other than me that can make you happy - that can commit to making to happy for a lifetime. I was trying, I really was," the blonde's voice breaks with emotion as she starts to cry, "but then you got engaged and everything changed."

"Nothing's changed, Pipes."

"Everything's changed, Alex!" Piper shouts with growing frustration. "You don't know how heartbreaking it is to watch the person you're hopelessly in love with take them steps with another person that isn't you. How it feels to tell someone how you feel only to get their wedding invitation in the post hours later. Of course I want you to be happy, but for a long time now, I've only felt that way myself whenever you're involved in the picture. It's you, Alex. It's always been you," Piper pauses, turning around so that the brunette can't see her emerge into her full mode of sobbing.

The emotional breakdown emerging in front of her is one of which Alex finds herself struggling to watch. Getting up from where she had been sitting quietly, listening to the blonde let out her - what had obviously been pent-up - feelings, the brunette moves behind the blonde, wrapping her arms around her form, hoping to soothe the crying woman.

To her surprise, the blonde doesn't protest as they both stand in the middle of the room - the only sound being her messy sobbing.

"You shouldn't have to see me like this," Piper finally voices after several minutes, sounding as though she's finished releasing new tears.

"Yes I should. Especially when i'm the one that's made you this way," Alex responds, pausing as she thinks through what she's about to say next. "I'm sorry that I've made you feel this way - it was never my intention," she hesitates once again, not wanting the blonde to start crying. "Piper I don't think you realise the effect you have on me. I've always been affected by you since the very moment we met right up until now. I hate the fact that you feel lonely when all this time I was searching for ways to try and avoid ruining everything we have."

Piper offers no response - a sign in which Alex takes as a green light to continue, except this time running her hands down to the jut of the blonde's hips, keeping a confident hold around her waist.

"I get it. I really do. I couldn't stand seeing you with other people, and I guess seeing you leave with that woman was the moment I realised I couldn't keep living in a fantasy when I wanted to live in a reality," Alex admits, nudging her nose against the back of the blonde's neck taking in her scent, which, in response, she feels two warm hands land over her own reassuringly offering a squeeze.

With her blue eyes once again fighting tears, Piper closes them other, taking in everything that she's hearing and feeling courtesy of the woman she had been longing for for so long, worried that there's going to be a 'but' moment coming.

"The way I've felt… I feel about you doesn't even remotely compare to anyone else, Piper, because I love you too, and I know it must be hard to hear all of this right now considering everything that's happening behind the scenes, but all I care about is you knowing the truth."

Ensuring she savours the feeling of being encompassed by Alex's arms, Piper pushes her hips backwards, wishing she could have witnessed the brunette's reaction - which had consisted of holding back a groan as she closed over her eyes - before turning in her arms.

"This doesn't change the fact that you're getting married."

"Is that why you can't come?"

"If you really think I'm coming to your wedding after everything I've just told you, Alex, you're out of your fucking mind."

"I know - I'm kidding," Alex tries to smile, not wanting the younger woman to question what she had just revealed to her. "I didn't know she'd done that. If I had known I wouldn't have-"

"Can we please not talk about her?" Piper interrupts, hoping Alex can sense the desperation in her eyes.

"Sure," Alex responds, lifting her right hand to cup the blonde's cheek, brushing her thumb against her skin.

It's the moment they had both dreamed about; hoped and prayed it would happen, and as the blonde feels the brunette begin to lean closer, she feels the need to make a clarification.

"I can't do this if you're running back to her. I just can't put myself through it again, Al."

"I know. That's not going to happen," the brunette honestly admits, knowing that she too couldn't go back to her fiancée after what had earlier transpired. "I want this just as much as you do."

Sensing the blonde isn't going to protest - finally satisfied that they're on the same page, Alex leans the full way in, connecting their lips in a kiss that they had both anticipated for three, long years.

Their lips fit together like a puzzle piece sliding into its allotted space; gliding slowly across one another, until Piper grips at the brunette's shoulder with her right hand, moving it up and along her neck to rest on her jaw so that she can change the angle of the kiss. The innocent nature of the lip-lock switches into a passionate rhythm, as Piper's tongue lines Alex's bottom lip, and upon being granted entry, both women let out a moan at the sensation they had only previously had the luxury of dreaming about.

Hands begin to wander; Piper's hands run through the brunette's long, dark hair, while Alex's hands land on the blonde's ass, feeling the skin that she had so desperately wanted to touch on many an occasion.

"Let's take this upstairs," Piper breaths between kisses, not wanting to spontaneously combust while standing up in her living room as Alex's lips then move to her neck, grazing the skin lightly.

By the time they reach the blonde's bedroom, they're all over each other. It's a moment Piper had waited for - had envisioned every time she had gotten herself off, and as their lips break away slightly, Alex pulls the blonde's tank top off, yet as Piper attempts to return the favour by removing the brunette's t-shirt, the mood becomes somewhat awkward.

While pulling the garment off the brunette's body, it catches on her hand - more specifically: her engagement ring, something that - once the top finally lands on the floor - isn't lost on both women.

"Alex - not when you're still… we can't," Piper voices, not wanting their special moment to be placed under the category relating to the older woman having an affair.

"It's okay. I get it," Alex smiles, taking the ring off her finger and placing it in the pocket of her jeans before looking at the blonde's form. "You look beautiful, Piper."

"Thanks," Piper blushes at the compliment, ducking her head as she's unsure of what to do next.

"Are you okay with staying over?" she goes on to ask timidly.

"Well, I'm not planning on going home, so yes - I am okay with it. Are you?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

The pair undress - Piper giving the brunette a t-shirt to wear as well as putting one on herself, and as they get into bed, both relish the sea of comfort they're currently swimming in before they know they'll be dragged into an unavoidable tsunami of complications.


	5. Chapter 5

Naturally waking up from her sleeping slumber, the blonde goes to roll over but her movement is restricted by a strong arm resting around her waist. Taking in the feeling of Alex's arm looped around her body as well as her ass resting in the older woman's crotch, Piper sighs contently, closing her eyes over again as she lets out a deep breath, trying to contain herself.

Managing to finally shuffle her body around, Piper is given a view of the beautiful form sleeping next to her, chest rising to match her lungs' breathing pattern. She stares for longer than she probably should have, and in witnessing the brunette next to her shuffle closer in her unconscious state, the blonde has to hold back a groan at the feeling of their bare legs touching one another.

"What're you looking at?" a rough, tired voice comes from the older woman, eyes still closed over.

"How do you know that I'm not sleeping?"

"Well - for one, I don't think you would have replied to me so coherently if you were actually still sleeping, and I can feel you watching me," the brunette concludes, opening her eyes to see a set of sparkling, blue ones staring right back at her.

"Guilty as charged," Piper says, giving the older woman a toothy smile, which is mirrored in return.

Alex uses her elbow to lift her body up slightly and moves towards the blonde, turning their smiles into their first morning kiss. Neither bothered to care about the reality of their situation, just basking in the fact that they could do this without feeling guilty and or being caught.

"Al-" Piper moans out when the brunette's lips graze her neck, moving to where they suck softly at her pulse point.

The brunette proceeds with her actions, grinning into the hot skin at the feeling of a hand running through her hair, keeping her lips in place.

"Al if you keep doing that, I don't think I'll be able to wait any longer," Piper pants out, yet not removing the grip she has on the brunette's long hair.

"Mm-hmm," Alex hums, moving back up to the blonde's lips. "How long do you have until your meeting?" she goes on to ask, knowing Piper has an important meeting regarding the final stages of publishing for her book.

"2 hours," she replies, hooking her legs around Alex's hips and rolling them over so that the brunette's on her back. "As much as I'd love to keep doing this," the blonde begins, placing her hands on Alex's abdomen over her t-shirt, "we can't."

"You're right," Alex agrees, "because I'm taking you out for breakfast."

"You don't have to do that, Alex. I'm sure you have a lot of things to be taking care of right now," the blonde replies, hoping that it wasn't too obvious that she was referring to Alex cutting the final cord on her already broken engagement.

"Yeah, but I can do that after breakfast with you," Alex smiles, knowing what the blonde was trying to subtly hint at, yet not wanting to embarrass the younger woman by making a big point of it.

"Okay," Piper smiles. "Breakfast it is."

* * *

"What about this one?" the blonde asks, holding up a long, grey coat.

"Pipes - it really doesn't matter," Alex rolls her eyes, standing by the front door fiddling with the key ring on her car keys. "We have to get going."

"But I want to look nice," Piper shyly adds, looking between the two coats she's being indecisive about.

"The grey one," Alex smiles, sensing an element of nervousness radiating from the younger woman. "Can we go now?"

"You're not being very patient, are you?"

"Not when we're under time constraints, no, I'm not," Alex admits, opening the front door for the blonde to walk through.

"Fuck it's cold," Piper comments as they eventually exit the apartment building.

"Maybe you should have gone with the beige coat in the end," the brunette jokes, laughing when the blonde turns to hit her lightly on the arm.

"Funny."

The pair eventually settle down in a local, quiet location - one of which they're both familiar with.

"Bring back memories?" Alex asks as she takes a seat opposite the blonde in a booth.

"Hmm you might have to remind me," Piper smiles, eyeing the woman next to her.

"It seems like it happened yesterday," the brunette comments.

"It certainly doesn't look like it," the younger woman chuckles, alluding to the installation of a brand new window that is located at the end of the boothed table where they had first met. "Can I ask you a question?" the blonde adds, seeming somewhat indecisive as to whether she should go ahead while playing with the handle of her coffee cup.

"Of course you can," Alex smiles, encouraging the younger woman.

Leaning forward across the table, Piper goes ahead with her burning question, making sure to whisper as she does.

"Why her?"

Settling back to her side of the booth, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, Piper watches Alex's face change to one of amusement to one of slight concern.

"Pipes - you know you don't have to worry about that," Alex responds, knowing her explanation could seem like a cop out.

"I get that I don't, but I just want to know. You can be honest with me about it - it's not like you'll say anything that'll hurt me."

Alex tilts her head to the side, raising an eyebrow in a questioning fashion.

"Okay - maybe it will, but I can hack it… I mean I survived you getting engaged… just about," the younger woman tries to joke, giving the situation an element of - much needed - comedic relief.

"Well..." Alex pauses laughing at herself, "you really want to do this right now? It's gonna sound sentimentally cliché."

"I love sentimentally cliché," Piper prompts, not giving in to the older woman's excuses.

"Okay… I guess because I didn't think I had a chance with you I went with the next thing that came along that only required a minimal amount of effort."

"You liked me?"

"How could I not like you, Piper? You're you. Funny and smart and beautiful. Then there was the whole incident with that guy and the magazine articles, so I just assumed I couldn't turn your head." Alex reveals, before feeling an element of confusion given the amused smirk adorning Piper's facial features. What?

"I liked you too you know… like I was borderline infatuated with you, Al. I didn't really know how to deal with my feelings and then Sylvie started crashing in on our nights out and given the way she flirted with you, I knew that I wouldn't be able to top that. So maybe that gives you an idea as to why I left with that guy…"

"The night Sylvie first asked me out…" Alex adds, finally putting two and two together, having never thought of what else had happened that night before it took a terrible turn. "God this is so fucked," Alex laughs, running a hand through her dark hair.

"Hmm - well, it could be going a whole lot worse. I mean, you could have already been married by now," Piper jokes, but before Alex gets the chance to add a rebuttal, a member of staff walks over to take their order.

45 minutes later, the pair are walking down the street, heading towards Alex's car, before Piper is politely stopped by two female teens asking for a picture. The brunette watches the tall blonde in awe, admiring how she carries herself even when amongst strangers.

"Al-" Piper voices, snapping Alex out of her daydream.

"Hmm? Sorry."

"Could you please take the picture?" the blonde asks, knowing she had interrupted one of Alex's intense internal thinking sessions.

"Oh, yeah. Sure," the brunette complies, taking the phone and snapping a few pictures of the trio.

"Maybe photography is your secret calling," Piper voices once the teens leave and they continue their short journey back to the brunette's car.

"What like being a personal photographer that follows you everywhere?"

"Well, the following me around everywhere bit I wouldn't mind," Piper flirts, biting her lower lip as she brushes her body up against Alex's, moving to get to the passenger side's car door.

The older woman chuckles, trying to be subtle as she watches the blonde's ass crossing her path, only to look away when she's being caught, shaking her head sideways to rid the sudden influx of dirty thoughts entering her system.

* * *

"Things are looking real good, blondie," Nicky says from where they're sitting informally in her office.

"When do you think it'll be done by?"

"Maybe about 3 weeks to a month. Alex practically did most of the editing with you anyway, so that was a major time saver," Nicky pauses, sitting back in her chair. "Speaking of Alex-"

"What about her?" Piper quickly interjects, suddenly worried at the prospect of what could come out of the wild-haired, totally unpredictable, woman's mouth.

"I wanted you to help me organise her bachelorette party," Nicky voices, smiling widely with excitement.

No matter how hard she tried, Piper couldn't contain the sudden drop in emotion that covered her face, feeling a flash of worry that despite the words and promises Alex had relayed to her the evening before, she was very much still in a committed relationship on the verge of getting married.

"Piper?" Nicky probes, sensing something's wrong with the younger woman.

"No, it's just that I'm not going to the wedding. I'm at a…"

"You're missing Alex's wedding? Does she know?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Fuck man," Nicky pauses, fiddling with the pen resting between her fingertips. "You still like her, don't you?"

"What?! Nicky, no… I-"

"You don't have to play dumb with me, blondie. It's been pretty obvious to me for quite some time now, but I guess not so much for specs - well, she is practically blind I guess."

"She's getting married, Nicky," Piper counter argues, knowing that both herself and Alex had agreed to not tell a soul about their recent romantic developments.

"Mm-hmm," the wild-haired woman mumbles, offering an unreadable expression. "So you'll still come on the bachelorette party?"

"I can't I'm-"

"Please. It would mean a lot to her," Nicky pleads seriously, knowing the light in which her best friend sees the woman currently sitting opposite to her.

Huffing out a loud breath, knowing that Alex's best friend won't get off her back about it, the blonde gives in, hoping it will all fall through anyway in the end. "Okay. I'm in."

"I knew you couldn't say no," Nicky says in an excited tone - one of which makes Piper both entertained and nervous at the same time.

* * *

' _We have a problem._ ' Piper sees illuminate her phone screen as she turns on her device having left Nicky's office building. It's a message from her publicist, which - especially from previous experiences - she knows is never a good sign.

' _What is it?_ ' the blonde types out, and within a few seconds of sending the message, another appears in response with a link attached.

Clicking on and opening the link, the device automatically switches to the blonde's Twitter app, and as the page loads, Piper's eyes widen at what she sees, internally cursing herself for letting Alex rush them out of her apartment that morning.

Keeping up to date with her Twitter page is something she tries to do often, yet in seeing the flood of notifications coming her way, the blonde's immediate reaction is to delete the app and hide under a rock until it's safe to come back out.

It's an uploaded version of the image she had kindly posed for with the two female teenagers on the street earlier in the day, except the caption and the comments are alarming. Despite identifying that she does look good in the image, it seems as though Alex hadn't held back during their make out session in bed that morning, considering two hickeys are visible in the picture - not overtly obvious, but visible enough - as well as unseeable - once you know they're there.

 _Fuck_ , Piper thinks; the caption does comment on the polite nature of the exchange, but is then followed by pointing out the marks on her neck in capital letters. The tweet has nearly 3,000 retweets and just over 7,000 likes, which has no doubt been screenshot and sent around various other branches of social media. The worst part of it all is the first exchange in the comments, one of which is an addition from the person who had tweeted the picture in the first place. Someone had asked who Piper had been walking with before the picture was taken, and in seeing the response entailing that she was with a 'tall', 'hot', 'woman' with 'glasses' that was called 'Al', the blonde nearly drops her phone, now fully standing stationary in the middle of the street reviewing the situation unfolding.

That tweet in itself had revved up its own form of conversation, and the blonde couldn't even begin to imagine how the number of searches for her name, along with written comments about her in online forums - especially after she addressed the fluidity of her sexuality, have increased.

Closing down the app, the blonde considers replying to her publicist, but not only can't she reveal the entire truth about the situation; she doesn't really know what to say. The image doesn't really bother her; it isn't the end of the world - people have sex, but the alarming issue about the problem is that Alex is being brought into the picture. An engaged, very much so - at the minute - taken, Alex, and if the media were to find out her full identity and make their regular set of assumptions, this could really fuck things even up more than they already are.

Deciding that she needs to speak to Alex first, Piper instead sends her a message.

' _I need to talk to you ASAP. Call me when you're alone._ '


	6. Chapter 6

While the blonde found herself in a state of panic over the situation, the brunette had no idea as to what was going on being that social media wasn't something she frequently obsessed over.

"Alex!" Piper says down the phone, picking up on the first ring, having been waiting by the device impatiently since arriving back at her apartment 10 minutes before.

"What's the matter?" the brunette immediately asks, having sensed something was up from the blonde's text message.

"You know how you took that picture of me and some fans on the street this morning?"

"Yeah," Alex answers, sounding confused.

"Well they posted it online and it's going viral."

"And that's a problem because…" the brunette probes, oblivious as to why Piper is acting like this.

"Because you can see two hickeys on my neck," the blonde answers, sounding as though she's panting due to pacing around in her kitchen. "Hickeys that _you_ gave me, Alex."

"No one's gonna know that, Pipes."

"Well considering all of the comments are talking about how a tall, hot, lady with glasses called Al was with me at the time, everyone seems to know!" Piper adds, speaking rapidly.

"How did they-"

"The person who posted the picture wrote it."

"That doesn't mean they have to know was me. There's no proof," Alex says, trying to calm the blonde down.

"I know, I just don't want to make this any more messed up than it already is."

"I get that," Alex pauses. "Come over to mine; I have something to tell you."

"Al - I don't really think that's a good idea. They'll be able to find out who you are that way."

"Piper - all it takes is an extensive Google search to find out I'm your agent. For all people know, you had a wild evening and met with me the next morning to talk about your new book… and please. This is important."

Sighing to herself, knowing that what Alex is proposing is a smart idea, Piper relents, curious as to why she's being summoned to the older woman's home.

"I'll be over in 20."

* * *

"Hey," Alex says, smiling at the blonde as she opens the door to her apartment, letting her inside.

"Are we alone?" is all Piper asks, not wanting an audience for what she imagines is about to go down.

"Yeah. That's what I wanted to talk to you about," the brunette admits, causing the blonde's jaw to clench, not liking the sound of Alex's admission.

"What is it?"

"I don't know where Sylvie is. She's just taken off somewhere and I have no idea how to get ahold of her."

"Why're you telling me this?" Piper asks, an obvious hint of jealousy evident in her tone of voice.

"Because how am I supposed to put an end to this when she's nowhere to be found?"

"This?"

"No - that," Alex answers, moving her arms frantically while trying to clarify what she means. "I mean the engagement, Piper. I meant what I said before about going back to her. It's just kind of hard though when you share the same living space and she happens to be missing from it," the brunette looks around, alluding to the several items blatantly belonging to Sylvie that are placed around the room.

"What're you gonna do?"

"I have no idea. I mean - I get that she's pissed with me… I did smash her laptop."

"You smashed her laptop?" Piper asks, laughing as her eyebrows rise in surprise.

"She was saying shit I didn't like and I snapped," Alex tries to defend her actions.

"Like what?"

"She read you couldn't come to the wedding and started to bad-mouth you."

"Saying what about me?" Piper asks, starting to get angry.

"It doesn't matter."

"Alex-"

"She started saying you would have been a shitty bridesmaid anyway, and then accused me of wanting to be with you yet entering a relationship with her because I missed my chance."

"That bitch," the blonde voices, unable to hide her agitation.

"I mean she wasn't wrong about the last bit," the brunette admits, "but it still made me mad and so I smashed her laptop."

"Does she still think you're getting married?"

"If she has any brains, no, but this is Sylvie we're talking about here," Alex pauses, running a hand through her hair.

"She'll have to come back eventually, Al. It doesn't seem like she took many belongings with her."

"I guess… I just hope she doesn't act out about this all."

"You are about to end your engagement and you smashed her laptop - I think I'd be pretty pissed too."

"That doesn't help," Alex voices.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"This isn't your fault, Piper. I can deal with this; I just don't want you to think I've changed my mind."

"I trust that," the blonde smiles, taking a seat on the brunette's sofa. "How about we watch a movie or something?"

"Well we can't _or something_ , so movie it is," Alex jokes, plonking herself down next to the blonde on the sofa, trying to forget about the current day's events.

* * *

A week later, both women seem to find themselves in a better off position; the media attention regarding Piper's relationship status eventually somewhat tamed down, and, after 3 days, Alex eventually heard from Sylvie, who, despite Alex's attempts at persuading her to come back home and talk, claimed she would be staying with friends out of state for another week.

Sitting at her desk in what is a rare free morning, Alex is scrolling through her computer checking both her emails and the most recent set of news. Her workload had seemed to die down given that Piper's book was complete and currently with Nicky's publishing firm, so most mornings she found herself unbothered - something she greatly appreciates.

She scrolls through the Daily Mail online - knowing that despite its unreliability as a publication, it provides relevant celebrity gossip - and sees a headline that she wouldn't have envisioned in a million years.

' _Piper Chapman bares all in exclusive lingerie shoot with Vogue._ '

Instantly clicking on the article, the brunette's body melts, as the image of Piper in a black laced set of lingerie appears at the top of the screen. She scans through the article, yet instead of reading the edited content from an unreliable source, she opens a new tab, searching for the official article on Vogue's website.

' _Talking travel, writing and sexuality, Piper Chapman reveals all as she enters the latest chapter in her page-turner of a life._ '

 _Thank God_ , Alex thinks in seeing the sophisticated nature of the article's headline.

It's an enjoyable read - one of which is not only written extremely well, but captures the essence of Piper's personality; intelligent, yet extremely down to earth. The work touches upon elements of the blonde's life and upbringing - all of which the brunette already knew in greater depths of detail, yet in its uncovering of her summer travels and the aid it brought towards her search for her identity, Alex surprisingly learnt more about the younger blonde.

 _"It was an emancipation," the makeup-free blonde admits when asked about self discovery. "An emancipation of expectations as well as the kind of person I had always envisioned myself to be. I spend a lot of my time on my own, and in doing so in varied locations helped to make me realise what it is I'm missing in my life; the type of relationship I'm craving."_

The blonde, Alex notes, is extremely well spoken when it comes to talking about such sensitive topics, and can only help but feel an element of guilt at what she's reading.

' _Piper - with her hair tied up in a messy bun - crosses over her legs and smiles, giving off an array of confidence - and perhaps even sentimentality - upon addressing her quest for privacy._

 _"People like myself that are always in the lens of the media find it hard to establish that balance between obtaining privacy while putting themselves out there in a working environment. It can be hard to find someone when all people know about you is that you can string a sentence or two together and have made a successful living out of it. I'm scared a lot of the time; you want to surround yourself by people you care about, but sometimes that just isn't enough, and until you come to terms with that, you can't grow for the better as a person."_ '

As hard as she tries, the guilt doesn't go away. The brunette senses that the blonde wasn't talking about any old relationship when the interview had taken place, and finds herself feeling sorry for the blonde - despite thinking the younger woman was coping with her new-found status, she otherwise found herself isolated even when in crowded rooms.

The article eventually takes a lighter note - the blonde discussing why she loves writing and answering some questions about her love for exercise. By the time she reaches the end of the piece, Alex - for the first time in several minutes - lets herself smile. Doing a lingerie shoot was always something Piper had always refused - often finding it cringey and unnecessary, yet upon alluding to the blonde's discovery of growing as a person, the brunette realises how Piper had herself stepped out of her comfort zone to aid another purpose: making herself happy.

Images were scattered throughout the lengthy article, however Alex keeps the mouse at the bottom, clicking through a slideshow of all the images.

The poses are risqué - ranging from posing on a chair, wearing nothing but an unbuttoned shirt, and standing in very revealing garments. This is the kind of content the brunette had always wished for - and despite having only ever imagined seeing the blonde's body like this in the contents of her own bedroom without any other prying eyes, she'll take what she's given.

Knowing that she doesn't have any work deadlines or meetings throughout the day - as well as the fact that the inside of her office can't be seen from the outside, she scrolls to the image of the blonde in the most revealing set of white laced lingerie that accentuates her toned abdomen. Pushing her chair away from the desk slightly and leaning backwards, Alex lowers her hand to the waistband of her work trousers - undoing its button before pulling the zipper the whole way down.

Before she can progress much further, her office door flies open, to which she shoots upwards and pulls the chair back in towards the desk.

"Is this a bad time?" Piper asks as she takes off her coat, putting it down while walking further into the room.

"No - I um… was just," Alex stumbles before clearing her throat. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Surprise!" the blonde jokes, wondering why Alex hadn't gotten up to greet her like she had been doing as of recent. "Get over here," she juts her head, indicating for the brunette to get up.

Knowing that Piper is already suspicious of her behaviour, Alex stands up and moves around the desk, hoping the blonde won't notice her opened trousers.

"Hi," Piper says, pulling the taller woman into a hug.

"What're you doing here?" Alex asks, returning the embrace.

"I wanted to see you. There's something I think you'd like to see, but first," the blonde begins, pulling back from the hug while smirking, "I'd like to know why your trousers are undone."

"They were just a bit tight while sitting down," the brunette tries to lie, not wanting the smaller woman to find out what she was in the process of doing.

"Oh, so it had nothing to do with whatever had you so transfixed on that computer of yours when I walked in?" Piper asks, slipping behind Alex's body so that she's standing in front of the desk, attempting to turn the computer.

"No!" Alex tries to stall, turning around so that her front is now against the blonde's back, using her arms to stop the screen turning yet remaining unsuccessful.

"I see," Piper voices, seeing the image of herself in her recent article - the reason why she had come to talk to the brunette in the first place - filling the screen. "You're already doing your research."

"Pipes-" Alex tries to protest, but is silenced as she feels her hands being grabbed and placed around the blonde's waist to rest along the waistband of her tight, black trousers.

"I wanted to see your reaction, but I guess I'm a little late to the party. Maybe my invite got lost in the mail," the blonde comments, arching her body so that her ass moves further into the older woman's crotch, earning herself a groan.

"You look so hot in the pictures, Pipes," Alex counters, using all the willpower she has to not turn the blonde over and fuck her on the desk.

"You know, I only agreed to do the shoot to try and win you over."

"It worked," Alex growls into the younger woman's neck, having moved her hair to the side to run her nose along the perfumed skin.

"I didn't think I would expect to see you getting yourself off to it in your office though," Piper turns around, biting her lip while lowering her hands to fiddle with the opened edges of the brunette's trousers. "That's what's really hot."

"God, Piper," Alex groans, but is interrupted as the blonde fuses their lips together in a lust-filled kiss.

Eventually needing to break away for air, the pair rest their foreheads against one another, chests heaving up and down rapidly.

"I came her to tell you about the piece and then ask if you'd join me for some lunch," Piper finally voices.

Alex, still lost in a haze, licks her lips, trying her best not to crumble.

"I'd love to join you."

The blonde reaches down to Alex's trousers, fixing them back together.

"I'd always imagined taking these off you, not putting them back on."

"We'll get there," Alex smiles, happy the blonde had stopped by despite the poor timing.

* * *

"Oh, can I just pop in and see if they're selling the cover?" Piper asks, pulling Alex's arm as they walk by a small corner store.

"Sure."

The pair walk through the shop until they reach the paper and magazine section, and while Piper reaches down and grabs two copies of Vogue - smiling while doing so, Alex's face falls as she is occupied by something she thought had ended sooner than it had began.

Covering the front of several gossip magazines and tabloids are pictures of herself and Piper taken on the same morning as their encounter with the author's fans. One cover is of the pair walking along the street laughing, another of them sitting opposite each other in a coffee shop, and, worst of all, one of them leaving the blonde's house together accompanied by a zoomed in picture of the blonde's marked neck along with a string of accusations about the blonde's sex life.

"Piper," Alex says stoically.

"Hmm," the blonde mumbles back, immersed in reading the article she's featured in.

"We're screwed."

"Why?"

"Because we're everywhere."

"What do you mean we're every-" Piper begins, but having finally looked up and seen what the brunette was referring to, she suddenly mirrors the sudden panic, forgetting the contents of what she was reading in her hand and letting out a whispered: "Fuck."


	7. Chapter 7

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Piper continues to chant in a whisper, trying to come up with some form of plan while Alex reaches over and grabs the magazine that pictures the two of them leaving the blonde's apartment building.

"Sources close to the pair claim that Miss Chapman has been plotting to break down Miss Vause's engagement and seems to be doing so by taking the role as her mistress," Alex reads, startled by the article's content. "This is bullshit," she adds, waving the magazine around.

"We need to get out of here," Piper voices, her panic evident.

"You wait here while I buy these."

"Alex - we don't need to buy these shitty tabloids. They're doing nothing but putting a strain on our personal lives."

"I know that," the brunette answers, grabbing a copy of each publication along with the blonde's copies of Vogue before heading to the counter to purchase the sources of reading.

"I guess packing a disguise might be something I should start doing," Piper voices as they leave the shop, deciding to head back to Alex's office instead of risk being seen out having lunch together in public.

"I don't get why everyone cares all of a sudden? So what - we spent a day together and now all of a sudden you're my mistress?" the brunette questions in distress, knowing that continuing to live her life in the shadows is something that'll be much harder to carry out successfully from now on.

"Let's just wait until I hear from my publicist. I can make a statement or something."

"Saying what, Piper, because you and I know that what they're writing isn't too far from the truth?" Alex whisper-shouts, growing angry at how her day is turning out.

"I don't know. I'll figure something out."

The pair continue towards Alex's office, and upon turning onto the street of the building, the pair immediately see a group of people holding cameras outside the premises.

"What the fuck?" Piper voices, staring over at the group.

"Great - now they know where I work."

"It's not you they're looking for, Al."

"Oh, really? Then why is my face plastered all over magazines? I guess it's just a coincidence."

"Can you not start this in the middle of the street? Next minute, someone will be recording our conversations."

The tense atmosphere between the pair heightens upon growing closer to the building - especially when they're spotted approaching from a distance.

Flashing cameras snap images of the two women walking down the pavement - both ensuring to keep a safe distance from one another, and when they reach the entrance, it's a near struggle to get to the door.

A series of questions are throw the pair's way by several different journalists holding out microphones:

"Piper - what's it like to be the other woman?"

"Is it true you're dating your agent?"

"Aren't you wearing your engagement ring?"

It reaches the point in which the building's security storms out, forcing the media to move out of the way to allow the women to enter unharmed. By the time they reach Alex's office, they both take a seat next to one another and sit in silence, confused by everything that had just happened.

Hearing light sniffling coming from the woman next to her, Alex turns to see Piper trying to hold back a flood of tears - obviously overwhelmed by the shitstorm she's found herself a member of.

"Hey - don't cry," the brunette reasons, shuffling closer to the blonde to pull her into a hug.

Piper - unable to speak through her emotions - rests her head in the older woman's neck, feeling the recent stress of the morning get to her.

"I'm sorry," the blonde mumbles into Alex's neck, tears wetting the skin. "We should have waited."

"Don't be ridiculous, Pipes; you have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, it's my fault for starting this when I hadn't officially ended things with Sylvie."

"You're gonna have to tell her you know."

"I think she already does know," Alex comments, causing the blonde to lift her head.

"She can't. No one does."

"Pipes, she practically accused me of wanting to marry you, suddenly disappears, and then we all of a sudden have this mass media attention. Don't you think it's kinda strange all of them reporters knew where we'd be that morning?"

"I don't even know how they figured out where I live."

"But Sylvie does…"

"So you think this was all her?"

"Come on, Piper: 'sources close to the pair' - who the fuck else would go to the press about something like this unless they had a motive?"

"We can't be certain it's her though."

"No - we can't, which is why I'm gonna meet with her and make a deal."

"That's stupid, Al. What could you possibly say: 'hey I'm sorry I'm leaving you and that I smashed your laptop… by the way can you stop selling stories to the press about me?' like she's going to pity that."

"Well what do you suggest we do?"

"Talk to my publicist and go from there. Meanwhile, we can't be seen together."

"Piper-"

"No, Alex. This is my fault that this is happening to you, so it's my responsibility to stop it."

"How very chivalrous of you."

"When's Sylvie back?"

"Tomorrow."

"And you're gonna talk to her then."

"If she comes home, yeah."

"Okay. I'm meeting my publicist at her house, so I'll call you later."

"Sure," Alex stands, taking the blonde's arm to pull her up. "I think you should head out the back in case they're still out the front."

"Thank you, Alex," Piper holds the older woman's wrist, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," the brunette smiles. "Let me know if anything else happens."

"Will do."

With that, the blonde leaves, sneaking out the back entrance of the building, while Alex finds her calm demeanor crumbling, pretty sure about who had tipped off the press.

* * *

"You know that's the wisest option in this situation, Piper," Lorraine - the blonde's publicist - voices from where she's seated opposite the younger woman at her dining table.

"I know," the blonde bows her head, desperately wanting to tell the dark-haired woman - one of which she considers a close friend - the truth about herself and Alex to get the real advice she needs, yet knows she can't - it's a discussion she needed to have with someone that isn't linked to her in a working environment.

"You don't seem too thrilled about it."

"I'm not exactly enjoying the situation I'm currently involved," Piper looks up, watching the woman opposite her smirk as she puts down her tea cup. "I don't want it to backfire on the book sales."

"That won't happen, Piper. If anything, I think this little scandal seems to be working in your favour. I know you two are just friends, but putting it out there that that's all you are should make this all better. I can't say it'll make it go away, but it should help."

"What do you mean it's working in my favour?"

"You're young, successful, attractive, just came out as bisexual, and have been seen with a hot woman. Social media's loving it."

"Don't tell me you've been reading all of those comments too," Piper probes.

"I may have dabbled though some of them," the older woman admits, bursting out into a laugh as the blonde rolls her eyes, trying to mask her smile.

* * *

"So you think that'll work?" Alex asks from where she's propped up in bed, leaning against her headboard.

"Well, it's the only option we've got," the blonde replies from where she's in a similar position, smiling through the camera lens of their FaceTime call.

"What do you think of this one?" the blonde asks, flipping the camera around to show the screen of her laptop that's resting on her thighs.

It's an image of the two of them - one they had taken together the night Alex had stayed around hers, except the pair were laughing at a dropped piece of pizza that had landed on the blonde's white t-shirt while the photo was being taken. The picture is one of Piper's favourites that she has of the two of them, and given the advice she had received, they decided that addressing the matter is something they should do.

Laughing loudly from her end, Alex nods.

"Yeah, that's perfect. What're you gonna put? 'Friends with benefits' with the word friends emphasised?"

"I can't put that," the blonde chuckles, appreciating the creativity. "How about friends without benefits," she adds, raising an eyebrow at the idea.

"Nice. I vote for that one."

"I'll upload it a bit later," Piper says, flipping the screen back to her face. "Have you heard from her yet?"

"She sent a short text to say she'll be back by the morning whatever that means."

"At least she might be willing to talk."

"That depends on how the conversation starts and if she admits to what she did being fucked up."

"About that," Piper begins, biting on her lip. "Lorraine was saying we're a hot topic at the minute which might be good for the book."

"You've always been a hot topic, Pipes; people just want to know more about your private life."

"Well they're definitely trying their best with that one," the blonde agrees as the sound of typing fills the call. "Listen to these tweets: ' _I don't know about you, but Piper Chapman fucking a woman is what gives me faith in humanity_ '; ' _Am I the only one that thinks specs is hotter than the blonde one?_ '; ' _If Vauseman don't come out as a couple, then I'll shave off my eyebrows_ '. These people are fucking crazy, Al."

"Now I feel bad for that girl's eyebrows," Alex chuckles, before pausing. "Do they really call us that? Vauseman?"

"Do you not check your phone?" Piper sarcastically asks - the new nickname being something she had been reminded of several times throughout the last few days. "People can't get enough of 'Vauseman'."

"At least it's positive. Maybe this will be good for you. Now all we need to do is make and leak a sex tape - that shit'll give you numbers."

"Really, Al?" Piper questions, scrunching her eyebrows.

"Hey, there's a reason I only work with book writing, okay."

"I should really get going and put out our damage control."

"Yeah, yeah, go do your thing. I'll let you know how tomorrow goes."

"Thanks. Call me tomorrow."

"Will do, Pipes."

The call soon ends, and Piper opens her Instagram, selecting the desired picture from her camera roll and types in the planned caption along with adding in the hashtags: #shesmyagent #buymybooks.

What she had written in itself makes her chuckle - something that, for the first time since the influx of images and articles about herself and Alex had risen, gives the blonde a genuine source of happiness.

She then goes to post the same on Twitter, and after minutes of doing so, her notifications shoot through the roof. It's in this given moment that she considers getting a second phone, knowing that despite attempting to make the situation die down, it doesn't look like it's going to be doing that anytime soon.

Her scrolling is interrupted by the sound of her ringing phone, to which she answers a call from her best friend.

"Polly!"

"So I have to read all this shit about you to know that you're still alive?" the high-pitched voice shrills down the line.

"I know. I'm sorry. There's just been a lot on my plate recently."

"Is it true?"

"Which part of it? The fact that I slept with Alex or the fact that I'm the other woman?"

"You know what I mean, Pipes. Does she like you back?"

Piper contemplates her answer for a second, knowing she wouldn't want the real truth to spread around, yet in feeling confident that she can trust her best friend, the blonde opens up, explaining the recent turn of events that lead to where she's currently positioned with Alex.

"You think lying will help?"

"We're technically not lying, Pol. We didn't sleep together, and I'm not her mistress," the blonde cringes, hating the idea. "She's gonna talk to her tomorrow and then we can go from there."

"You can always call me about stuff like this, Piper. It's not like I'll send your story to the press," the brunette laughs down the phone, obviously entertained by the idea.

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you, but Alex thinks it was Sylvie that told the press where we were."

"That's a smart move though," Polly adds.

"Really? You're not even going to try and act like you're sorry."

"You fucked her fiancée, so I guess she's allowed to be mad."

"We didn't fuck, Polly!" Piper shouts despite knowing her best friend is only kidding.

"I know," the brunette laughs. "I need to go, Pipes, Pete's just got back."

"I'll call you soon."

"You better," Polly replies, before the call ends.

* * *

Alex wakes up with the feeling of a set of arms wrapping around her torso, and leaning backwards into the feel of the other body, she feels alarmed at realising who it is in the bed with her.

"Hey," Sylvie whispers into Alex's ear, running her hand along the taller woman's hip.

"Hey," the brunette replies, turning over on her side.

"Missed you," the red-haired woman voices, moving to kiss the taller woman.

"What're you doing?" Alex asks, moving her head backwards, creating a safe distance between them.

"Can't I show my fiancée some affection."

"We need to talk about that."

"Starting with what I read this week or about the laptop smashing element of it?"

"I know it was you," the brunette voices, lifting up her body with her elbow. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Like I would ever do that, Alex."

"Cut the bullshit, Sylvie. You hate Piper. You're doing this to get at her just as much as you're trying to get at me. So what do you want?"

"I'm not doing this here with you."

"Oh so you're gonna run away from the situation."

"I'm going to wait downstairs. Gives you time to come up with a game plan with your girlfriend," Sylvie replies with a sarcastic, spiteful high-pitched voice.

Now alone in the room, Alex falls onto her back, knowing that the conversation that's about to take place could really make or break her.


	8. Chapter 8

**I know it's short, but I wanted to get this out before I introduce new plots.**

* * *

"So you're really doing this?" Sylvie asks from where she's seated across the table from Alex.

"Sylvie-"

"You're throwing away everything we have together just like that."

"If you think what we had together was functional then that sums this all up."

"Why agree to marry me then?"

"I thought I could go through with it; I didn't want to make you feel bad by saying no," the brunette honestly reveals.

"So you're just going to end our relationship just like that? And to then do what? Be with her?" Sylvie shouts, waving her hands frantically while doing so, yet in seeing the woman opposite her flinch at her words, she leans forwards, arms crossed. "Oh my God you really are. Of course you are."

"I'm sorry," is all Alex replies, not wanting to get fully into the details of what's going on between herself and Piper.

"I guess the press will love this love scandal," the red-haired woman voices, leaning back in her chair. "I wonder what'll happen if they get a new story about everyone's favourite Piper Chapman," she adds, sounding sarcastic.

"Please. Don't sell any more stories. I don't want this to turn nasty between us, Sylvie."

"Don't you think it already has reached that point? I guess you'd do anything to protect your new girlfriend."

"She isn't my girlfriend," the brunette defends herself. "But if you do anything to fuck up her book then I can't promise things will end well for you."

"Hmm really?"

"What do you want out of this, Sylvie?"

"I still want to get married."

"That's not happening. It's over between us."

"So then how would you feel if this were to be leaked?" the red-haired woman asks, putting her phone on the desk, showing a newly taken picture.

It's one that had been captured of herself and the blonde walking along the street together, arms linked, and while Alex is walking with her head forwards, Piper is looking over at her with loving eyes, smiling sincerely.

"Is this you trying to threaten me or something?"

"Well I can't imagine people will love the fact that 'perfect Piper' is a homewrecker."

Laughing loudly, Alex throws her head back.

"Sylvie if you think it's Piper that wrecked our home that's just hilarious. You're controlling; you're jealous of the fact that I take my work seriously, and you go completely out of your way to make sure you get everything you want. Go ahead - release an image that shows absolutely fucking nothing worth talking about."

Getting up from the chair, Sylvie loses her cool, face turning red with anger.

"You know what, I've done nothing but put everything into this relationship and you're just throwing it away. I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you, Alex."

Also getting up from her chair, the brunette feels her own anger growing.

"I must be a fool then," she replies sarcastically, fishing out the ring that she had in her pocket. "I believe this belongs to you."

"Fuck you, Alex," the red-haired woman replies, holding the engagement ring in the palm of her hand before balling it into a fist, proceeding to punch the taller woman forcefully in the face.

"You bitch!" the brunette shouts, clutching her face while bending forwards.

"Get the fuck out, Alex," Sylvie concludes; the sound of her footsteps going up the stairs filling the apartment space.

Not wanting to stay round in the same space as her ex-fiancée, Alex leaves the premises, feeling somewhat satisfied that she only received a punch to the face.

* * *

Walking along the pavement, the brunette feels conscious of the fact that there's a chance she's being watched. Living a quiet life was something she had always loved, but since she'd become a current face throughout the media, an irrational fear of being followed was increasingly growing on her.

Whipping out her phone, she calls Piper, hoping she answers quickly.

"Hello," the blonde answers after 2 rings.

"Can you let me up?" Alex asks quietly.

"You're outside?"

"Piper - we agreed not to be seen together, so I need you to do this quickly."

"Okay - I'm coming."

Turning off the call, Alex is let up into the building, and by the time she reaches the blonde's door, she can finally breathe.

"Hey, Al," Piper voices, opening the door which Alex immediately rushes into.

Not replying to the blonde, Alex proceeds to push her up against the door, passionately connecting their lips.

Piper - completely unexpecting the interaction - melts into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the taller woman's neck.

"Al-" she breathes between kisses, trying to get the older woman's attention. "Alex."

"Mm-hmm," the brunette mumbles, not really taking notice of what the blonde is saying.

"We need to stop."

"It's okay. We don't have to worry."

"My… my mom's in the kitchen."

"What? No," Alex groans while the kiss comes to an end, both speaking into each other's opened mouths.

"She was about to leave," Piper pants, pushing Alex back on her shoulders, smiling at the disappointed look on the brunette's face.

"Fuck," Alex mumbles, lowering her head while chuckling.

"Mom - you remember Alex, don't you?" the blonde asks, walking into the kitchen, thrilled at the sight of her mother putting her coat on.

"Alex, hi. Of course I remember," Carol voices, smiling at the tall woman whom she had met several times before. "Sorry, I was just in the process of heading out."

"That's alright. It was nice seeing you again, Mrs Chapman," the brunette politely replies before taking a back-step in the conversation, letting Piper discuss some form of arrangement with her mother before walking her out to the front door.

"Sorry about that," the blonde says, walking back into the room.

"I should be the one apologising. I did just come here unannounced."

"How did everything go with Sylvie?"

"She was mad as predicted, but I gave her the ring back."

"At least you're still alive to tell the tale," Piper approaches, putting her arms back around the taller woman's neck.

"I did take a punch to the face though."

"What?" the blonde asks with a sudden bout of worry, moving her hands to remove Alex's glasses. "Oh, Alex," she comments, assessing the reddening skin that looks as though it's in the early stages of a black eye formation.

"You need to ice it," the blonde adds, detaching their bodies and moving towards her freezer.

"I'm fine, Pipes."

"You got hit in the face, Alex. Take the fucking ice," Piper instructs, handing over the bag of peas that she had wrapped up in a tea towel.

"Can't we just go back to where we left off?" Alex asks, attempting to use a flirtatious tone of voice.

"If you think that'll be happening this evening. You're wrong," Piper answers, moving about the kitchen.

"Too soon?"

"That and I'm on my period."

"Ah, I see," Alex laughs, following the blonde into her living room.

"Wanna talk about it?" Piper eventually asks as they take a seat, their breathing the room's only background noise.

"Not really. I'm just trying to go back to normal; walking down the street without having to look over my shoulder; check that I'm not being followed every time I come over to your place. How do you do it?"

"I don't really know," the blonde answers sincerely. "I guess I kind of feel that way too. I've never had this amount of media attention focused on my personal life and not my written work."

"And how're you finding it."

"Shitty."

"You can say that again."

"I'm really sorry, Alex. I wish you hadn't been brought into this."

"I don't think we really had any other option," the brunette admits, reaching over to link their hands. "I don't regret any of it though."

"You don't?"

"Well maybe the whole bit when I got engaged, but that's not a problem anymore."

"So we're really doing this?" Piper asks, looking down at their joined hands.

"I guess we are, yeah," Alex smiles, leaning in for a kiss.

"Wait," Piper voices, playing her finger on the brunette's lip to stop her progress. "Aren't you going to ask me out on a date first?"

"Oh, so that's how you want to do this?"

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of tradition… especially when everything so far between us has been anything but that."

"Okay…" Alex pauses, clearing her throat. "Piper Chapman, will you go on a date with me?"

"I'd love to, Alex," the blonde smiles, chuckling when Alex sticks her tongue out to lick her finger, causing her to pull her hand away and, in turn, have her face pulled into a kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

" _Hi, I'm Piper Chapman. Best known for being on the New York Times' best seller list twice, and I'm here to read your thirst tweets."_

Piper stops the video, turning her body sideways so that her head is resting in Alex's neck, hiding her embarrassment.

"No - we need to keep watching," Alex points out, wrestling with the blonde's hand to get to the computer.

"I don't want to watch."

"Come on, Pipes," the brunette says, finally managing to read the touch pad.

 _The video shows the blonde pulling out a piece of paper, clearing her voice before she reads it out._

" _I know she's no plumber, but Piper can fix my pipes anytime," the blonde chuckles at what she reads before selecting a second piece of paper._

" _If Piper Chapman's fingers work as quickly as they do when writing, then there's hope for us all," she pauses, eyes widening as she looks into the camera lens. "Okay then."_

 _Picking out another one, she begins reading, immediately regretting what she had picked out._

" _The fact that Piper Chapman's fucking a woman that's just as hot as her is a blessing in itself #Vauseman #powercouple."_

 _Hesitating as to how she should respond, the blonde's eyebrows rise in shock at the sort of things people write on social media about herself and Alex._

" _Interesting. Nice to know," is all she says before throwing the piece of paper to the side dramatically._

" _Piper Chapman could run me over with a bus and I'd still thank her," the blonde reads, laughing uncontrollably at the statement. "That's… imaginative," she adds, having finished laughing._

" _Last one," she voices, taking out the last piece of paper from the bowl._

" _Piper Chapman's jawline is stronger than my future," she reads, smiling infectiously at what she had read._

" _Well I guess that's me staying off Twitter for a while… and off the road," she concludes, laughing while the video comes to an end._

"Let's read the comments," Alex chuckles, having found the blonde in the video very entertaining.

"No," Piper shouts, practically rugby tackling the taller woman down onto the sofa, causing them both to laugh at the position they had found themselves in.

""Hey there," the brunette says, placing her hands on the blonde's waist.

"Hey," the blonde smiles, leaning down to connect their lips.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready, Miss Chapman?" Alex mumbles between kisses.

"Just about to," Piper admits, leaning back to straddle the older woman's stomach while taking off her tank top, leaving her in just a bra.

"What're you doing?" the brunette asks, placing her hands on the blonde's exposed abdominal muscles.

"Getting changed," she winks, removing herself all while knowing the effect she holds on the older woman.

"You know, all of those people are really missing out on commenting about you ass because… woo," the brunette admits, joking around at the fact that the blonde had even agreed to take part in a video like that, as well as the fact that she had finally managed to make the blonde watch it despite the video's release 2 days before.

"Funny."

"If Piper Chapman were a roller-coaster, I'd still ride her," Alex imitates, laughing when the blonde leaves the room looking embarrassed.

It had been a month since Alex had ended her relationship with Sylvie, and in the meantime, the pair were taking it slow. They'd been on several dates throughout the time period, and in doing so, they managed to keep a low profile in the media although a few inevitable pictures of the pair together had surfaced. It was easier now that the brunette was renting her own living space; switching between staying in hotels, over at Nicky's and at Piper's wasn't particularly easy.

The pair were going out for dinner before they were departing the next day on Alex's bachelorette party - well, the surprise one Nicky had already planned and paid for in advance and was refusing the idea of not going despite Alex's separation.

They'd chosen a low-key location where they have both been before, and despite the fact that they weren't making any further public comments about their budding relationship, the pair knew that travelling together the following day would bring a new flow of media coverage and speculation.

Sitting in the quaint restaurant, the pair discuss everything from wine choices to Piper's up-and-coming book release, along with the brunette asking several questions about what Nicky had in store for the group of 6 other people she had invited on the trip, considering the blonde was asked to help with the occasion.

"I'm not telling you where we're going, Al," Piper chuckles, amused at Alex's persistence and the image of her mouth fighting with a piece of spaghetti.

"Not even a little clue? Tell me the continent at least."

"Stop being a baby," the blonde adds, not knowing how much longer she can withhold the information from the older woman.

"Make me," Alex probes, not expecting the response she receives because as she was about to smile in feeling as though she had won their little game, the brunette feels a foot running up the leg of her skinny jeans, resting by her inner thigh.

"You got anything else to say, Alex?" the blonde asks, pleased with how such a bold move was working in her favour.

"Fuck, Pipes," is all the older woman voices, shuffling back in her seat so she doesn't get too attached to the contact.

"What? Here? I don't think that'll go down too well."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know. I'm kidding. That'll be for my eyes only," Piper whispers, raking her eyes over the taller woman's upper body.

The pair were yet to still have sex. Their intimate life hadn't really taken off as of recent - mostly due to the fear of the paparazzi somehow catching them in the act and then catalysing a ridiculous public meltdown. They'd been close on occasion, but the pair insisted on going on dates and finding out how they would get around being together romantically as well as working together closely on a frequent basis.

"What're you doing now?" Alex asks as they walk down the pavement and towards where she had parked her car.

"Linking my arm with yours. Is that a problem?"

"You. It's all good with me," the brunette smiles, not being able to wait for the week off work she's about to experience.

* * *

It's 2:30 am and the sound of Alex's alarm is ringing throughout the blonde's bedroom.

From where her head is placed on the taller woman's stomach, Piper lets out a groan.

"Al - turn it off."

"Hmm," the brunette sleepily mumbles, leaning over to turn off the alarm. "Can't we just skip? It's not like it's an actual bachelorette holiday anyway."

"No, we can't. Nicky - your best friend - has put a lot of effort into this, so we're going."

"But I'm too comfy," Alex strops, turning over so that she's now pinning the blonde down onto the mattress.

"Considering our car's coming in an hour, you don't have time to be cosy, Alex," Piper laughs as she finally manages to get out of the taller woman's strong hold.

"What's in it for me?"

"A week away with your friends and I. I can't even begin to imagine how amazing it's gonna be to not have cameras spying on us all the time."

"Oh so we're going somewhere where you're not well known?"

"I didn't say that," Piper blushes, moving about the room so to not get sucked into the brunette's game, especially when the t-shirt she had worn to bed had ridden up her stomach. "Now you better be out of that bed by the time i'm out the bathroom," she adds, closing the door.

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

"Just ignore them," Piper voices as they get out of the hired car upon their arrival at the airport, knowing that Alex is anxious about what sort of things could be written about the fact that they're travelling together.

"That's kinda fucking hard, Pipes, when it feels like every other person is staring at us," the brunette whisper-shouts, watching the blonde get her phone out and then have to turn up her brightness due to wearing a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses over her eyes.

"Let's just get through security and meet Nicky on the other side."

"We're not meeting her here?" Alex asks, finding the plan rather strange.

"I thought we were, but she text me saying they'll be about 20 minutes and they don't want us to have to wait out here."

"How nice of them," the older woman adds sarcastically.

"Can you stop being an asshole. I know it's the morning, but I'm not gonna be able to tolerate you when you're being like this for much longer," Piper says, walking towards the self check-in with her suitcase in tow.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Don't call me that," the blonde scalds.

"What? Not into that?" Alex chuckles, knowing that she's pushing her limit, and in receiving the dirty look she did from the blonde, she knows it's time for her to shut up and comply.

"Isn't that Piper Chapman?" Alex hears a voice from a couple of check-in stations away, yet not wanting to look.

Like the blonde, she was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap; if it weren't for their equally ridiculous heights, they probably wouldn't ever be recognised together.

"Pipes-" Alex whispers, wanting the blonde to hurry up.

"Just a sec," she replies, focusing on the digital screen in front of her before turning. "What were you saying?"

Knowing that the blonde will only tell her to calm down - something she knows she needs to really do, Alex chooses to avoid the subject at hand, realising that if Piper - arguably the most paranoid she knows - isn't bothered by people recognising them, she shouldn't feel that way either.

"Don't worry. You've done it now," Alex smiles, thankful that her sunglasses blocked the brief flash of panic that crossed over her eyes.

From that point onwards, the brunette felt much more at ease; getting through security happened without any problems, and upon reaching the duty-free section, Piper had only been stopped once to have her picture taken.

"Where the fuck is Nicky and the others?" Piper asks from where they're seated at a table in a bar - a place in which Nicky instructed them to wait and get breakfast if she or any of the others hadn't arrived on time.

"I don't know. She said she'd be here," Alex responds, taking a sip of the cocktail she had ordered. "This is why I never liked travelling with her. She's always late to fucking everything."

"Yeah, but how is no one else here? Some of our other friends are coming too."

"I have no idea, Pipes. As long as we're all here on time with our tickets, it'll be fine."

Piper had tried her best to keep where they were going a secret; forcing the brunette to not eye the contents of her boarding pass nor admit which gate they would have to go to. However, her real problem was the fact that everything on the other end was done by Nicky; Piper knew some of the ideas she had planned out, but had no idea as to what hotel they were staying at and how they were going to get there once they landed.

"Party for Vause?" a waitress says in question while holding up a bottle of champagne on a tray.

"Going for the hard stuff already, Al," Piper laughs, not realising her counterpart had made that order.

"I didn't. Sorry, but I didn't order that," Alex politely mentions, not wanting to be charged for - what clearly looked like - an expensive bottle of drink.

"Oh, no, it's on us. Consider it a wedding gift," the woman adds, placing the bottle - along with an envelope - on the table before leaving.

Looking up at one another, the pair are equally as confused.

Grabbing the envelope, Alex proceeds to examine the writing on the front, and in seeing the all familiar scribbled writing displaying: 'Vause', she immediately knows who it's from. She looks around from where she's seated - almost as though trying to find the culprit, and in doing so, Piper eyes her as though she's going crazy.

"What's wrong?"

"This is from Nicky. It's her handwriting."

"Open it then," Piper prompts, leaning forward as Alex turns sideways so that they can both assess the envelope's contents at the same time.

Peeling back the stuck down edge, the brunette pulls back a white piece of folded up paper, which, after being opened, reads:

 _'Hey you guys!_

 _Hopefully this has reached you. If not, then someone fucked up along the line._

 _To tell you the truth, Lorna and I won't be joining you and neither will any of the others._

 _You can thank me later._

 _Love,_

 _Nicky._

 _PS: make sure the envelope is completely empty.'_

The message - Alex notes, is surprisingly pleasant even coming from her best friend, and upon realising what the message was alluding to, the pair look back up at one another, stunned by what the wild-haired woman had done.

Piper's hands grab the envelope and she pulls out two more smaller pieces of paper.

"Are those-" Alex begins, but the blonde beats her to it.

"Tickets for the two of us? Yeah."

"Fuck," the brunette pauses, feeling momentarily overwhelmed by the efforts of her best friend. "Where to?"

"St Lucia," the blonde voices stoically, obviously in a state of shock. "How the fuck is she affording all of this?"

"She does own a publishing firm," Alex sits back in her chair, looking over at the blonde opposite her in amazement. "I don't know what to do."

"Is this even allowed? We checked-in with different tickets."

"I have no idea, Pipes," the brunette chuckles.

After both eventually overcoming their moment of shock, both parties give one another toothy smiles, beginning to realise the window of opportunity Nicky's spontaneity had opened for them.


	10. Chapter 10

"Pipes," Alex whispers, lightly poking the blonde's thigh. "We're here."

"What?" she mumbles in return, moving her head from where it was resting against the taller woman's shoulder.

"We've landed," the brunette explains, chuckling as the woman next to her reluctantly moves her body so that they can prepare to leave the plane.

"Good sleep?" Alex goes on to ask as she lets the blonde gather her belongings, waiting while others walk down the aisle to exit the aircraft.

"Mm-hmm. How long was I out for?"

"A couple of hours," the brunette replies, moving the arm rest up so that they can exit their seats. "Gave me some time to get some reading done," she adds, turning her body sideways to allow the blonde to get out and take the lead.

"Are you saying that my conscious company is disturbing?" Piper jokingly asks having grabbed her bag from the overhead locker and started to walk down the plane's aisle.

"Not disturbing, no, just," Alex pauses, her eyes falling on the sight of Piper's ass in a pair of leggings, "distracting."

"How so?" Piper asks though a smile, having turned around and caught the brunette in the act.

Knowing she'd been seen, Alex smiles, pushing her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose while fixing her rucksack on her shoulders.

"Just keep walking, Chapman."

* * *

The pair manage to get through the airport and into a car - as instructed by a small list given to them upon boarding their plane from the airline crew - where they're now standing in front of their private beach house.

"Why the fuck would she rent a whole house?" Alex asks, voicing more so rhetorically.

"It is Nicky we're talking about here, Al," Piper laughs, walking with her suitcase in tow closer to the front door before stopping to lean down and grab the envelope that was lying on the doormat addressed to the both of them. Inside lies a pair of keys and a typed note explaining how the place was theirs for a week and that everything already stored inside was for them to use as and when they wished.

Using the key to open the door, the pair are left astounded by the bright, luxury building they've found themselves in. The walls are a variation of aqua and white in colour, giving both an insight into the home's high-class interior design as well as a view of the stunning white beach.

"Wow," is all Piper can say as she walks through to the open-planned kitchen-dining area, standing by the large sliding doors that show their own private garden area featuring a pool, two sunbeds, two chairs, and a ramp at the end leading to the beach.

"I hate to say it, but it seems like Nicky knows us well," Alex comments from where she had been browsing through the contents of the fridge, while now holding up one of two tourism guides that had been left on the counter.

"I like how private it is," the blonde comments, moving from where she was standing to investigate the rest of the lower floor.

"Private enough that I can do this," Alex adds while following the blonde, reaching out a hand to grab her ass.

"How long have you been waiting to do that?" Piper asks, turning around and placing her hands around the brunette's neck.

"Since we woke up this morning," the older woman smiles, leaning her head downwards to connect their lips.

"Well you're going to have to wait a little longer because I think that's for us," Piper pulls away, looking over at the dining table that's covered with a buffet of food and champagne.

"Late lunch, unpack and then explore the area?"

"Sounds like a plan," the blonde smiles, grabbing Alex's hand while they walk over to start on their plans for the day.

* * *

"This is nice," Piper says from where she's lying between Alex's legs, back fused against her front.

"Hmm, yeah. I haven't been this relaxed in a long time," the brunette replies, tightening her arms around the blonde's waist from where they're sitting on the sandy beach.

"Not even when you went away this summer with Sylvie?"

"Not even when I went away with her, no," Alex admits sincerely, taking in the view of the sun setting in front of them.

"You know I could get used to this," Piper voices after several minutes of silence.

"Definitely. Not having any responsibilities and not having to pay rent is something I'm here for."

"That's not what I meant," the blonde reveals, turning her head around to establish eye contact. "This. Us. I could get used to doing things like this with you. It's so…"

"Effortless?" Alex chimes in, touched by the blonde's revelation.

"Effortless. Yeah," Piper breathes out, smiling.

"I know what you mean," the taller woman returns the loving smile, and while she's captured in the blue oceans looking into her own green orbs, the feeling of Piper's lips landing on her own throws her somewhat off guard, but she nevertheless immediately melts and responds to the loving gesture.

The beach - especially at the current evening hour - is empty. It's open to the small complex of rented homes around the area, however being that it isn't the peak time of year for renting, the pair - from what they've gathered so far - are the only people in sight.

The blonde - eager now that she's finally alone with the brunette in a private space where they don't have to worry about the media, turns her body around fully, pushing Alex down onto her back as she straddles her lap. The taller woman's hands run up the back of Piper's t-shirt, causing the blonde to break away from the kiss and let out a moan before moving her lips to Alex's neck.

They grow increasingly handsy at the realisation of what's about to happen hits both of them.

"Pipes-" Alex pants, tilting her head further backwards at the feel of the blonde's teeth lightly graze the column of her throat.

"Yeah," Piper replies, not removing her face from the crook of the older woman's neck.

"Sand's going up my top," the brunette struggles, chuckling lightly.

"Oh," the blonde joins in, vibrations erupting over the surface of Alex's neck. "Let's take this inside then."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Piper affirms, lifting herself up before stretching an arm out to assist her companion with the same task.

They rush hand in hand back into their home, laughing as Piper pulls their mouths back together while attempting to get up the staircase and to their bedroom.

The room itself is the definition of luxury. Fitted with a large king sized bed, a balcony, en-suite and large television, the space is more than enough to fit the needs of the woman taking up its occupancy for the coming week.

Pushing the door over – feeling somewhat strange at the idea of having it open while they're being intimate, Alex pauses at the base of the bed, breaking away from the kiss to look at the breathless blonde in front of her. With a smile on her face, she reaches out for the blonde's t-shirt, pulling it over her head to reveal a black laced bra that she must have changed into once they had unpacked. Moving further down, the brunette fiddles with the button of Piper's jean shorts, popping it open and pulling the zipper down so that they to fall to the floor and are eventually kicked off by the movement of the blonde's feet.

"You look beautiful, Pipes," Alex sincerely voices, eyeing the body of the woman before her.

Piper – dumbfounded that this is really happening along with the fact that she had always dreamt of Alex saying such things to her in a context like this – blushes, dipping her head slightly as she moves to fiddle with the hem of the taller woman's shirt to return the favour.

Now both standing in their underwear, it's Piper's turn to gawk.

"You look beautiful too," she whispers lovingly in return before leaning forward so that she can let her mouth do the talking… so to speak.

Alex's hands roam around the blonde's back whereby she successfully removes her bra, eliciting a moan from the younger woman at the feel of her hardening nipples coming into contact with the fabric of the bra in which she is still wearing. The action sparks a level of confidence among the blonde who too removes Alex's garment, and this time it wasn't just her that lets out a moan at the contact; despite both feeling as though they could crumble at the latest sensation alone, they knew they couldn't let that happen just yet - not this way.

"Is this okay?" Alex asks as she moves Piper backwards so that she's lying on her back.

"Perfect," the blonde replies through a smile, adjusting her head amongst the pillows at the top of the bed.

"Let me know if that changes," Alex voices one last time as she moves down to hold her body over the blonde's, knowing this is a big deal for the both of them.

"I will, but that's not going to, Al," she reveals moving her hands so that they're cupping either side of the other woman's jaw. "I've waited to do this with you for so long," she adds honestly, biting her lower lip to emphasise her want.

Alex – having had her minor chain of worry subdued – bends her elbows to allow her body to fully land on top of the blonde's, causing both women fluttering their eyes shut at the feeling of their full bodies being pressed against one another for the first time.

Their lips meet in a passionate frenzy in which feels as though they've been doing so for years, and while Alex opens her mouth, providing the woman below her with the entry she had been searching for, the blonde simultaneously uses her right hand to squeeze Alex's ass over her underwear.

Deciding to start taking the lead, Alex moves her lips along Piper's jaw and neck to the point in which she's at her sternum, feeling the rising and falling of her chest. The blonde's perky breasts fit her slim body shape, and despite being smaller than her own, the brunette couldn't be any more turned on than she currently is just at the sight of what's below her.

Moving her mouth to the tissue whereby she's lightly sucking the skin, Alex hears Piper let out a pleasurable groan – a sign that she's enjoying herself, and with the feel of a hand running through her hair, she knows she's definitely hitting the intended spot.

The noise above her and the grip in her hair increases as she brushes her tongue over the blonde's left nipple, and after eventually basking her attention between both breasts, Alex decides she can't wait much longer before she descends the whole way down.

The pressure of Piper's hand in her hair is an additional sign that moving lower is what she wants; the brunette somewhat complies, being that she stops at the blonde's toned stomach, delivering an array of kisses along the sweaty skin.

"Al, please," Piper pants, letting the older woman know that she hadn't moved down far enough, and soon after establishing eye contact – ensuring to maintain it, Alex indeed moves lower to which she places two fingers either side of the blonde's pants to pull them down and allow them to be kicked off to join the pile of clothing that had also been thrown onto the floor.

Alex stops in her tracks from where she's now resting on her stomach between the blonde's legs staring at the wet surface displayed between them.

Piper – feeling self-conscious at the fact that the brunette is staring intensely between her legs without saying anything – goes to close over her legs, but her movement is restricted by Alex putting her hands on her inner thighs, still not diverting her path of vision.

"God, Pipes," she whispers, obviously stunned by the view before her, and as the blonde goes to respond, Alex leans forwards, running her nose along her inner thighs and along her shaven, wet mound.

The first swipe of her tongue elicits extreme emotions for both parties; Piper's head juts back, revealing the sight of her neck veins along with the darkening marks gradually appearing, while – yet again – a hand shoots down to run through Alex's hair, encouraging her to maintain the contact. Meanwhile, Alex's eyes flutter shut at the taste of the blonde's wetness on her tongue. It's a moment she's thought about more times than she'd wish to openly admit, and in hearing – as well as seeing - the effect her touch is having on the woman she had wanted for so long, she herself begins to lose it, groaning into the sensitive skin.

Alex's obviously experienced tongue sends Piper to a state of euphoria she didn't even know was humanely possible, and at the feeling of her clit being played with as two, long fingers slide into her entrance, the blonde's hips jut upwards and the loudest moan yet is ripped from her throat.

"Right there, Al. Don't stop. I'm close," Piper pleads, feeling as though she's going to erupt at any moment.

Alex – in hearing the blonde's request, looks up out of her desire to watch the woman she's pleasuring fall apart; so when she delivers one last hard thrust and sucks on the moaning woman's bundle of nerves, the brunette watches Piper's resolve snap – a sight that she knows is immediately branded into her memory.

"Fuck. I'm coming! I'm coming!" Piper chants, having finally felt her body collapse when her eyes locked with Alex's all while being able to feel what she was doing to her body at the same time.

Alex helps the younger woman ride through the remainder of her orgasm, and when the blonde's body finally relaxes, the brunette carefully pulls her fingers out and is pulled up to eye level so that their lips can once again connect.

They both moan into the kiss, and when Alex pulls away, they're both mirroring the same smug, smiley look.

"To think we waited 3 years to do that," the brunette voices, moving so that she's lying down next to the blonde.

"Totally worth it," the blonde smiles, turning onto her side while hooking a leg over Alex's hip. "And now it's my turn."

"You don't have to, Pipes," the older woman adds as a rebuttal, not wanting Piper to feel uncomfortable.

"Let me," the blonde pleads, leading a new kiss.

"I can coach you through it if you want," the brunette adds, sounding somewhat hesitant.

"I don't need a coach, Al," Piper responds, moving so that she's on top of the brunette. "I've been with women before," she adds before her mouth attaches to Alex's breast.

"You have?" the brunette asks, eyes widening in clearly what is a sign of her shock at what the woman on top of her had just revealed.

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh," is all Alex says, trying her best to reign in her jealously at the thought – as well as the imagery – of Piper sleeping with another woman.

"That doesn't bother you, does it?" Piper asks, looking up at the brunette to fully assess her reaction.

"No! Of course not. I just assumed… well, that I was your first."

"You're the first one that really matters," the blonde reveals, yet in seeing how her previous admission had affected the older woman, she connects the dots. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Why would I be jealous, Piper? I know you've been with people throughout your life."

"Yes, but you're jealous by the fact that I've been with women most specifically," Piper counters, moving her body to the left so that she can run her right hand down the brunette's toned stomach.

"Okay, well, maybe I am a little jealous," Alex reveals, much to the blonde's amusement. "I just don't like thinking about it."

"Then don't," Piper says, brushing their lips together. " I've known for a long time that you're the only woman I want to be with, Al. The only person I want to be with," she admits, pushing her hand down and into the waistband of the older woman's underwear, clenching her jaw at the feeling of her fingers running through the abundance of wetness present.

All jealous-related thoughts immediately fly out the window as Piper examines the feeling of running her fingers though Alex's most intimate area, and with the brunette connecting their lips – tongues dancing passionately, the blonde pushes two fingers inside, both groaning into one another's mouths at the feeling.

Piper's confidence grows by the second at the sound of the brunette's mutterings of her name and the moans gracing her lips, and in feeling as though she owes this to herself as much as she does to Alex, she bites down on the brunette's lip, eventually pulling away to move down her body.

Reluctantly slowing down the pace of her fingers to the point in which she pulls them out, the blonde starts to speak, stopping the woman below her from protesting in her tracks.

"And while I have been with women before, it was never this intimate," she begins, using both hands to pull down Alex's black underwear. "Regardless of who I was with, if it wasn't you, I wasn't going to do it. But here we are," she adds, guiding the item off the tall woman's ankles and onto the floor, settling onto her stomach between opened legs. "So while you weren't my first in one aspect, you certainly are my first when it comes to this," the blonde concludes, eyeing the wet canvas before her as she moves her head forwards to take her first lick of what she can only imagine is an intoxicating taste.

Her stomach clenches at the sounds coming from the woman above her, and in feeling a loving hand caress the side of her face in encouragement along with the locking of their eyes, Piper knows she'll remember this moment; the moment in which Alex Vause really did become her everything.


	11. Chapter 11

**Life has been rather crazy as of recent, but I hope this chapter was worth the wait...**

* * *

The stream of natural light shining through the blinds is what brings Piper out of her sleeping state. Her surroundings are initially unfamiliar, yet in eyeing the several items spread about the room, she's immediately reminded as to where she is and who she's with.

Her arm is resting on top of a strong counterpart that's circled around her naked torso; in feeling as though she can't wait any longer, she shuffles her body so that she turns onto her side, the hand holding her body now lying over her hip limply.

Studying the woman in front of her, Piper's lips turn up into a smile, witnessing - for the first time - the image of a naked, sleeping Alex in the same bed as herself.

She doesn't know how long she'd been staring at the older woman, and it isn't until her green orbs open that the blonde snaps out of her daydream.

"Staring's becoming a bit of a habit for you, Pipes," her rough, sleepy voice announces, offering a grin while doing so.

"I wasn't staring."

"No?"

"I was observing."

"Observing. That's what we're calling it now?"

"Mm-hmm," Piper mumbles, arching her body forwards to connect their lips for the first time that morning.

"Anything you want to do today?" Alex goes on to ask through the kiss.

"You," the blonde answers immediately, not giving the brunette a chance to act or respond as she moves down her body towards her most intimate area.

* * *

By the middle of the week, the pair had familiarised themselves with their surroundings and had just about gotten used to the logistics of their rented home. They'd been attempting to avoid social media, yet with underlying fears about their sighting at the airport together, Piper had briefly checked, only to confirm the fact that they were seen. The news was limited - only really people and publications stating they'd been seen together at the airport alone; thankfully, no tip off about their location seemed to have reached the media as of yet.

On their 4th day, Piper found herself lying on the bed of their cabana reading a book, basking in both the serene atmosphere of her surroundings and the fact that - for the first time in months - she had well and truly found herself in a state of relaxation.

Alex had opted to stay inside and make them some cocktails, and in what was taking longer than expected, the blonde assumed she'd taken on the task of making lunch at the same time.

In hearing the sliding door to their house shut, Piper turns from where she's positioned at the point in which their pool diverges into their private spot on the beach. Having setting her sights on the older woman, the blonde's jaw drops; walking with a tray in her hand which is holding two champagne flutes and two bowls of food, is Alex, and although the blonde had seen the brunette in a bikini throughout their week, she was yet to witness the current one she was wearing.

It's dark blue in colour - one of which poses a contrast to the white bikini Piper herself is wearing - and in its skimpy form, the top half of the garment barely covers Alex's breasts, while the bottom half is low enough to reveal her hips' v-lines that lead to her centre.

"I made lunch," the brunette announces, rounding to the end of the cabana bed to place the tray down onto the small table. "What?" she goes on to ask, having seen the look the blonde's giving her.

"Is that new?"

"It is. Do you like it?"

"I love it," the blonde admits, putting her book down onto the sandy floor and getting up from where she was resting to walk around to where Alex is currently standing. "I love it _a lot_ ," she adds, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist.

"How about you show some love to the food I just made," the taller woman says, chuckling at the blonde while placing her hands on her shoulders.

"Mmm, maybe later," Piper adds, reaching up to kiss the brunette while moving her hands down so that they're resting on the older woman's ass. "I have other plans right now," she adds, quickly turning their bodies to the right so that she can push Alex down onto the bed.

"I thought you wanted to go swimming after lunch?" the brunette asks, letting out a huff when her back hits the surface.

"I changed my mind," the blonde continues, lowering herself on top of the older woman, again connecting their lips.

Revelling in their assumed privacy, the blonde grows confident; shifting her body to the right, Piper runs a hand down Alex's exposed abdomen and into her bikini bottoms, smiling into the kiss as the woman below her lets out a open-mouthed groan while tilting her head back in pleasure.

* * *

From where she's sitting in the living area with her feet up reading a book, Alex hears a crash from up the stairs followed by the sound of a swearing Piper. Placing the paperback down onto her lap, she turns her head to see if the sound of the loud, stomping movement upstairs will travel down the staircase. In knowing that the blonde wasn't appearing anytime soon, the brunette puts her book down onto the coffee table and gets up to go and assess the damage.

"Pipes?" she asks while rounding the top of the staircase, walking into the bedroom slowly and immediately frowning at what she sees.

Standing at the foot of their bed, Piper is in her night shorts and bra, frantically trying to pick up the items that - along with her open suitcase - are all over the floor.

"What're you going?" Alex asks, causing the blonde to visibly jump, obviously stunned by the appearance of the older woman.

"Fuck. You scared me," Piper voices, turning on the spot to face the brunette, holding two pieces of clothing in either hand.

"What's going on?"

"I can't find my fucking passport," she admits, turning back to continue rummaging through the contents of her items on the floor.

Somewhat entertained by the blonde's theatrics, Alex doesn't quite know when the right time is to step in. Scanning her eyes around the room, she looks over to where she's last seen her own passport, and in seeing the blonde becoming more and more stressed while frequently swearing to herself, Alex finally moves further into the room and wraps her arms around the blonde from behind, stopping her motions.

"Alex - I need to find it."

"No, you need to calm down," she says, finally managing to make the smaller woman stop what she was doing. "Look over on the bookshelf," she whispers into her ear, trying her best to not sound smug.

Looking over to her right towards the bookshelf that already held some items upon their arrival, Piper sees that lying on the edge of the second shelf is both of their passports, resting one on top of the other.

"Fuck," the blonde mumbles, her head dropping down as Alex lets out a deep chuckle into her ear.

"Stop stressing," the brunette adds, stopping her light laughter when she feels the blonde turn in her arms, wrapping her hands around her shoulders while burying her head in space between her shoulder and neck.

"Why're you always right about everything?" she mumbles, feeling her stress begin to dissipate just from being in the older woman's company.

"I wasn't right about anything, Pipes. You just didn't know I'd put them there earlier," Alex begins, putting a piece of the blonde's hair behind her ear as she pulls away. "What's going on up there?" she asks, tapping lightly on the blonde's temple.

"I'm just stressed about travelling," Piper admits, yet in sensing the smaller woman is lying, Alex tilts her head to the side.

"You travel all the time, Pipes. What's really wrong?"

"I just don't want this to end," the blonde finally admits, letting out a defeated sigh. "I don't want this all to change when we go home."

"Nothing between us is going to change, Pipes. The way I feel about you will always be the same if not growing."

"I know, I've just gotten so used to seeing you all the time…"

"We'll still see each other, Piper," Alex chuckles, cupping the blonde's jaw while placing their foreheads together.

"Thank you," the blonde says brushing their lips together.

"Anytime," the brunette tilts her chin forwards, fully committing to the kiss.

"I guess we're really going this then?" Piper voices when their lips break apart.

"I guess we are," Alex smiles, pleased that everything between them is going so well.

"Jesus I wonder how everyone's going to react when they find out you're my girlfriend. I mean, social media will lose their shit, but my family," the blonde pauses. "There's a big chance they're gonna lose their shit even more. My mom wasn't exactly thrilled when those pictures of us went around."

"That's a bridge we'll cross when you're comfortable tackling it," the brunette admits, before lowering her tone of voice. "So… I'm your girlfriend now, am I?"

"Oh, Alex, I'm sorry it just slipped out."

"Oh, I'm all here for it."

"You are?"

"Well, I was trying to think of a good way of asking you, but I guess you've beaten me to it."

"Oh shit, I ruined your plans?" Piper's eyes widen as she pulls away, hands gripping at the taller woman's biceps.

"Pipes - it's fine."

"I'll just a…" the blonde begins looking around. "I'll go into the bathroom and then I'll be right back," she smiles, rushing into the en-suite and closing the door.

Biting her bottom lip, Alex stands stationary, shaking her head slowly while shutting her eyes over at the actions of her counterpart.

In hearing the bathroom door open again, Alex has to compose herself - not wanting to display how hilarious she's finding their current situation.

"Pipes have you seen my passport?" the brunette asks, having now chosen the way in which she wants to make this memorable.

"No. Um… have you checked your bag?" the blonde voices innocently, walking further into the room.

"Mmm, yeah, I can't seem to find it anywhere."

"What's that over there?" Piper adds, walking over to the bookshelf where they both knew the 'missing' item was, resting her back against it.

"Hmm, let me see," Alex approaches, standing in front of the blonde. "Oh look, here it is," she smiles, lifting her arm up to grab the red item. "Thanks, Pipes," she concludes, before turning and walking back to the edge of the bed.

"Alex!" Piper says almost angrily from where she's still leaning against the bookshelf.

Laughing from her position, Alex turns back around, walking back over to stand in front of the blonde, moving close so that their breasts are touching while cupping her jaw to lead a passionate kiss.

"Be my girlfriend," the brunette mumbles between the kiss, breathing heavily while running her hand along the waistband of the blonde's night shorts.

"Hmm," Piper probes, wanting to make the most of the moment.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Piper? Please?" Alex asks as their kisses become more desperately wanting.

Pulling back for a split second, Piper smiles, looking into the taller woman's green eyes.

"Yes."

"Yeah?" Alex smiles, her glasses falling down her nose slightly.

"Yes. I'd love to be your girlfriend, Al," she confirms, moving her hand from the brunette's jaw to help fix her glasses before rejoining their lips.

They smile into the kiss both at their new given status and the fact that upon sliding her right hand into the blonde's shorts, Alex discovers that Piper isn't wearing any form of additional layer underneath.

* * *

Stepping off the plane, the pair move through the airport security to go and grab their bags.

"What're you doing?" Alex asks at the feeling of the pinkie on Piper's left hand hitting her own.

"Can I not hold my girlfriend's hand?" the blonde asks.

"Of course you can, but are you sure you want to do it in public when you're book's coming out next week?"

"I'm sure," Piper smiles, connecting their hands smoothly.

Although the pair are wearing sunglasses - the blonde also wearing one of Alex's baseball hats, by the time they've collected their bags and begin to make their way out of the airport, a flash comes their way.

Initially neither woman thought anything of it - having become accustomed to people trying to take their picture when in public together, however upon turning the walkway's next corner, a flood of flashes - along with shouted questions and callings of both of their names - comes to light.

Standing by the taxi pick-up point is a large group of photographers attempting to picture the two women, and it's at this point that the blonde wonders why out of all the famous people in New York, the press are so fixated on her.

With their hands still intertwined, Piper squeezes her fingers to match the brunette's firm grip while beginning to increase the pace of her walking.

"Ignore them," she voices, trying her best to use a calm tone of voice and not panic her girlfriend.

"I'm trying," Alex responds through clenched teeth, and when they finally reach the automatic doors taking them outside, the eager group of photographers seems to have doubled.

They ignore the questions being hurled at them regarding their relationship, managing to finally get into their ordered car rather rapidly thanks to the intervention of the airport's security.

Tilting her head back against the headrest, Piper lets out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," she voices, turning to look at her girlfriend, whispering despite the barricade lining the middle of the car preventing the driver from hearing them in the first place.

"Don't worry about it. You weren't to know," she replies, reaching over to once again connect their hands. "It's all gonna be okay."

"Yeah. Yeah it just might be," Piper replies sincerely through a close-lipped smile, feeling surprisingly content considering what they had just experienced.


	12. Chapter 12

**I have some ideas of where I'm wanting to take this. Is there anything specific anyone wants to see?**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

A week later, Piper finds herself standing in front of a crowded room filled with those closest to her, reading out an extract of her newly released book. She had found the final process of her book going onto the shelves rather overwhelming, and it wasn't until she had gotten up in front of all these people had it really kicked in.

For what feels like the first time, everyone that holds levels of importance in her life were present in one room at the same time to celebrate her achievements - most surprisingly, the limelight hadn't managed to shift onto her older brother, Danny, who was seated next to the blonde's parents, her younger brother, Cal, his pregnant wife, Neri, her best friend, Polly, her husband, Pete, and their son, Finn.

Next to Polly sat her girlfriend, watching tentatively with her long hair loose and her glasses shaping the outline of her face.

She has to remind herself to not look at the brunette when reading out of fear that a mere glimpse of her emerald irises could render her speechless, defeating the entire point of this exclusive book release reading. Of course Alex had already heard the contents of the chapter in which she is reading, yet in a post-coital discussion, the older woman had expressed her want to support the blonde's work, considering it is something she herself had invested a lot of time and effort into during the making and writing process.

By the time the blonde finishes speaking and the room erupts into a chorus of applause, the event turns social. The large, open champagne bar is set-up along with a table of appetisers, and - more importantly - the blonde finally has some time to breathe. Well, at least that's what she thought.

Having been making her rounds regarding any professional conversations that she needed to take part in for marketing, Piper finally gets to go and talk to her friends and family - for once excited that everyone is in the same room at the same time.

She talks to Polly and Pete while holding their 1 year old son, Finn - knowing that the young boy is growing restless and wanting to go home, before journeying over to where her family are situated, and in seeing that her parents and older brother are talking to Alex, the blonde almost hesitates entering the conversation, somewhat nervous as to what they're talking about.

Before she's able to do so, her arm is grabbed by her younger brother who pulls her into a hug.

"That was great, Pipes," Cal says into his sister's ear while leaning backwards, arms still positioned on the blonde's biceps.

"You think?" Piper asks sincerely, seeking her brother's approval.

"Yeah! Of course!" he smiles, chuckling at how flushed his sister looks. "What're you looking at over there?" he goes on to ask in seeing his sister's eyes trained on something behind his shoulder.

The blonde fails to hear her brother, instead setting her sights on her dark-haired girlfriend that is currently laughing with her father.

"Oh I get it," Cal says, chuckling while poking her shoulder. "You're looking at _Alex_ ," he adds, placing a dreamy emphasis on the older woman's name, attempting to imitate his sister.

"What?" the blonde's eyes snap back to her brother's, suddenly alarmed. "I was just looking around."

"Don't worry about it, Pipes. Your secret's safe with me," the smaller bearded man counters, winking.

"Cal-" Piper begins, but the appearance of a photographer asking for a minute of her time ends the topic of conversation - something the blonde is somewhat thankful for.

* * *

Throughout the next 2 hours, the blonde is bombarded to the extent she hasn't even managed to speak to half of the people she had invited, and although she had managed to talk to her parents and older brother before their swift exit, she was yet to speak to Alex.

"You look like you could do with one of these," a husky voice comes from behind, causing the blonde to turn from where she was grabbing a plate of food from the buffett.

"I've been looking for you," Piper responds, putting her plate down while delivering a smile out of thanks as she takes the glass of champagne that's being held out for her.

"Don't worry about it. I know how busy these things can get," the brunette voices understandingly, turning her own body so that she's standing to the blonde's right, both watching the crowded scene before them. "You're trending on Twitter," Alex adds, causing the blonde's head to whip to the side, stunned by the comment.

"You've made a Twitter account?" she asks, ignoring the content of the older woman's comment.

"I tell you that people are talking about you on social media and that's your response?"

"I thought you hated that kind of thing."

"Yeah, well I thought I'd give it a shot considering they _love_ to talk about me nowadays," the brunette adds sarcastically, smiling at the woman next to her.

"I'll make sure to give you a follow."

"Flattered."

Their conversation continues uninterrupted until the blonde announces she needs to use the bathroom, and as the older woman voices that she'll wait for her where she's currently standing, Piper has none of it, instead linking their hands and dragging her companion along with her.

"Finally," Piper breathes out, turning as she pulls Alex into the private bathroom, hands still connected.

"Pipes, I can wait outside when you pee," the brunette remarks, chuckling out loud while she makes sure the door is locked.

"That can wait," is all the blonde responds, instead choosing to move closer to her girlfriend and place her hands on her jaw, connecting their lips.

"We can't fuck in the bathroom," Alex says between kisses, feeling herself getting increasingly riled up at the blonde's passion, finding that grounding her hands on her girlfriend's bony hips isn't helping her growing internal struggle.

"I know," Piper says stoically, not stopping her mission at hand. "I've just been wanting to do that all day," she finally says, moving her mouth away to rest their foreheads together.

"I'm proud of you, Pipes," Alex says, basking - in what feels like - the only real moment of privacy they've had all day.

Blushing slightly, the blonde hides her face in her girlfriend's neck, not wanting the older woman to see how much her comment had affected her.

"I love you, Al," is all she mumbles into the brunette's neck, and in hearing the same sentiment given back, Piper can't help but smile. Despite all of the shit they'd so far encountered, this was one of them moments that reminded her it was all worth it in the end.

* * *

After deciding with her girlfriend to depart ways for the rest of the evening - tired from the long day she had encountered, Alex sits on the sofa in her living room and scrolls through her phone - more specifically, her Twitter account.

She'd be lying to herself if she wasn't curious about the kinds of things people were saying about herself and Piper, and in seeing that the vast majority of the comments were positive, the brunette found it entertaining reading through people's interpretations of something as simple as a picture of herself sharing a smile with Piper.

The most recent set of pictures consisted of ones taken by photographers at the blonde's reading event. One whereby they're pictured in a group consisting of editors and publishers, and two of the pair alone together: one of the two innocently smiling at the camera - Alex's arm around the blonde's shoulders who has her arm around the taller woman's waist, and another of the pair unaware of the camera, laughing while conversing - a picture that had captured a moment of conversation after the brunette had approached her girlfriend with a glass of champagne.

Again - if she was being honest with herself, Alex wasn't particularly phased by the pictures that seemed to be sending those following their - publically hidden - relationship on the internet. Piper herself had posted a celebratory picture of the publishing group, choosing to boldly tag Alex's new account in the process, which - along with being present in the picture with the blonde - sent people spiralling to the extent whereby the brunette was receiving new follower notifications by the minute.

She begins to notice a consistent pattern of tweets mentioning the blonde's comments in the beginning dedication and ending acknowledgements of her book. Curious as to why the internet is linking herself with these matters, Alex decides to close down the app and go to her hallway to get her copy of the blonde's book out of her bag.

Returning to the sofa, she flicks through the first few copyright pages before reaching the blonde's chosen dedication:

' _For her. An inspiring source of happiness._ '

Without wanting to jump to any conclusions, the brunette tries to wrack her brains around as to who the blonde could be talking about. She feels a rose flush covering her skin at the thought of Piper dedicating her book to herself, and as she turns to the back pages to check the acknowledgements, her fluttering heart adds to the mix.

Scanning her eyes down the page, she reaches the final paragraph that people had been raving about on social media.

' _Finally, I'd like to thank the person who inspired me to write this novel; the person whose words I hold the closest. Thank you for your patience, your time, and your generosity when it comes to working with a pedantic person like myself. I'm drawn to your qualities day by day, and I've found working with you to be an ever-growing invaluable asset that I not only crave, but cherish in all contexts. Thanks, Al._ '

Letting out what feels like a long, overdue breath, Alex lets her shoulders relax before placing the book she was holding down onto her lap. These messages were both things she hadn't seen before, and in knowing they had to be something the blonde had chosen to keep private until the book was fully published and available to be bought, the brunette's feelings heighten. Overwhelmed by what she had just read, Alex picks her phone back up and goes to her most recent chain of messages, selecting the call button at the top of the screen before holding the ringing device to her ear.

"Hello," Piper answers after the first two rings, sounding surprisingly energised.

"Hey, Pipes," is all Alex can voice; her quiet tone giving off unusual vibes through the phone line.

"Are you okay?"

"I read what you wrote," she adds, although lacking in specificity.

"The book? That was quick… even for you."

"No. The comments about me. Piper, you didn't need to do that."

"Oh, so you've heard about that," Piper says, going quiet. "I was hoping to tell you under more private pretences, but I guess that was a dumb idea," she adds, again going quiet. "Is it too much?"

"No, Pipes. I love it. It's- I-" Alex stumbles before huffing in a self-deprecating manner. "I don't quite know how to voice what I'm feeling right now."

"I'd planned for that to be included from the start but with… you know, you being in a relationship and all, I wasn't too sure it was something I should have mentioned."

"Thank you, Pipes. Really - I appreciate it," the brunette says sincerely, honestly appreciating the blonde's sentiment.

"That end bit was the hardest part of the book I had to write and it wasn't even part of the story," Piper chuckles before hesitating. "I meant it all though, Alex. Not just because of where we're at now."

"I know. I get that," Alex agrees. "Why don't you come over?"

"Aren't you tired?"

"I was, but then I read that and now I can't stop thinking about you," Alex admits, glad they're talking through the phone so that blonde can't see the visual reaction her body had to what she had just voiced.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you here, Pipes. It's been over a week since we've seen each other where we weren't talking business to some extent."

"I'll be over in 15," Piper voices, her tone giving off the fact that she's smiling profusely on her end.

"See you then."


	13. Chapter 13

**I know it's short, but here's a double update, so check in with the last chapter if you haven't done so already.**

 **Please let me know what you think!**

* * *

"Wanna head to bed?" Alex asks her girlfriend from where they're lying on the sofa, the blonde positioned as her little spoon.

"Hmm," Piper hums in response, unable to prevent her sleepy eyes from fluttering over.

"Let's go to bed, babe," the brunette voices, rubbing her hand along the blonde's abdomen under her t-shirt.

"Mm-hmm," Piper agrees, turning her body sideways so that she can get off the sofa.

"Come here," Alex says from where she's now standing at the living room door, holding out her hand for her girlfriend. "Are you going to walk on your own for me?" the brunette chuckles from where her girlfriend is standing in the middle of the room, her tired head bowed down.

"My legs won't let me."

Rolling her eyes in a joking manner, Alex walks over to the younger woman and picks her up bridal style.

"Jesus, you're heavier than you look," the brunette tries to joke, but in feeling her girlfriend rest her head in the crook of her neck - offering no response, she gives up trying to converse, instead taking them to her bedroom.

* * *

It's roughly 7am when the sound of her ringing phone wakes Piper up from her sleep. Her eyes attempt to adjust to the dark room, and in seeing that the woman next to her is still sleeping - body turned in the opposite direction, the blonde leans over to her nightstand to answer the phone, making sure she doesn't wake up her girlfriend when talking to whoever is calling.

"Hello," she whispers into the phone, not knowing who she's talking to being that she didn't check the caller ID.

"Piper are you at home?" the voice of her publicist comes down the phone line, something that she isn't sure if she should be worried about or not.

"No, sorry," the blonde clears her voice as she sits up to lean against her headboard. "I've only just woken up. Is everything okay?"

"So you're not home? I need to talk to you in person."

"No, I'm at a friend's house. Is it urgent?" Piper asks, eyebrows rising at the fact that she wasn't expecting anyone to be visiting her this early in the morning, especially when she was still in Alex's bed.

"Yeah, I'm just getting into the car. Is that a problem?" the woman asks.

"No. I… um, I just wasn't expecting anyone today and I won't be home in time," the blonde tries to explain, sounding as though she's not really sure how to voice what she's hinting at.

"You don't sound too sure about that," the voice queries down the phone. "Whose house are you at?"

"Well, you won't-"

"Piper, I don't have time for this. I'll be there in 20 and in the meantime, you can either tell her you'll be talking to me in her kitchen, or you can wake her up and tell her I need to talk to the both of you in the kitchen which is probably the best option. Alex has the same address as before, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does. I'll let her know," is all the blonde replies before ending the phone call.

Placing the device back onto the table, Piper stares off into the distance, unsure as to how her publicist had guessed she was in Alex's bed, but in knowing how serious the woman sounded down the phone, she turns onto her side and places her hand on Alex's shoulder, rubbing along her arm gently.

"Al - you need to wake up," she whispers, but in getting no response, she heightens the volume of her voice: "Alex."

"What?" the older woman mumbles, rolling over from her right side onto her back.

"Lorraine is coming over. We have to get up."

"You told her you're at my house?" the older woman asks, leaning up on one elbow.

"She guessed. I don't know what she wants but it sounded serious."

"Fuck," Alex lowers her body back down, running a hand through her hair.

"I'll go and make us some coffee," Piper whispers, leaning down to give her girlfriend a kiss on the lips.

"Urgh," Alex groans, stretching in the bed dramatically with her arms above her head. "I guess I'll have to get dressed."

"You better because that is for my eyes only," the blonde says, eyeing the brunette's naked top half before leaving the room to head to the kitchen.

* * *

An hour later - deep in discussion, Piper and Alex are seated next to one another on one side of the brunette's dining table, while Lorraine - the blonde's publicist - is seated opposite them, laptop in hand.

"There's nothing I can do about this at the minute, but what we need to discuss is what you two are wanting to do next."

"I don't really know what to do next," Piper replies with a shaken voice, while Alex observes, unsure how to add to the discussion.

"Well I'm not here to tell you what to do - only advise you, but you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. It's just a piece of writing and some pictures they've got against you here."

"What if we just didn't say anything? How is that going to help?" Alex finally chimes in, feeling conflicted.

"In that way, things will still only be a speculation. You know how it is: say something and then your words get twisted. I know this is a shitty situation, but if any of you were to say the wrong thing, then it'll blow out of proportion even further."

Turning to face her girlfriend, the blonde looks into her eyes in question, hoping to seek a solution.

"I think we'll talk over it privately and go from there," Piper says, turning back to the woman adjusting her bag opposite them.

"I guess I'll leave you two to discuss that, but in the meantime, I suggest that you aren't seen together in public; that won't help your case at all."

Now standing from her seat, Piper walks her guest to the front door, pausing before opening the wooden barricade.

"Thank you for this."

"Piper - I get paid to do this. I'm looking out for you," the older woman smiles sincerely. "I've never gotten round to asking, but you two… you are a couple, aren't you?"

"We are, yes," Piper replies while trying to fight back a smile as her cheeks glow a light shade of pink.

"Good for you," Lorraine voices, outstretching her arms to hug the young blonde. "Call me later."

"Of course," the blonde concludes, smiling as the older woman breaks away from their hug and leaves the apartment, waving while doing so.

Heading back into the kitchen, Piper watches Alex who is fixated on the laptop screen that she must have gotten when she was alone in the room, reading the contents of their most recent set of worries.

"What the fuck does this even mean by 'a source close to the pair'? What fucking source?" the brunette angrily voices, turning away from the screen to eye the blonde.

"Al, I have just as much of an idea as you do," Piper replies quietly, sitting down next to her girlfriend to read along the extract.

It's another online article from _The Daily Mail_ \- the publication that seems to be the most obsessed with their relationship, paired with several snaps of them on their holiday, several paragraphs of nothing but assumptions, and a so called eyewitness account from someone that had come forward with information as to what they had gotten up to on their 'romantic getaway'.

The headline: ' _Author by day, homewrecker by night_ ', is accompanied by a series of pictures which - for both women - is the worst part of the entire so called 'exclusive' article. Three pictures had been taken with what seems to be a high quality camera, showing the blonde and brunette on their cabana bed. Not only are they lying down on the bed, but the images depict the events that took place as soon Piper had set her eyes on Alex walking outside with her brand new, dark blue bikini, whereby she had gone on to pin her girlfriend to the bed and proceed to run her hand down her body and into her bikini bottoms.

Thankfully they hadn't progressed any further than that - Alex deciding that it would be more comfortable to take their activities inside; although nothing too revealing appeared in the images, the sight of Piper's hand down the front of the brunette's bikini bottoms while they're passionately kissing isn't exactly something either woman want open to the public - especially when things were finally starting to go so well for them.

The piece also features snippets of an interview from someone claiming to have been staying in a house nearby, who comments on the pairing strolling while 'holding hands' and frequently showing their affection for one another throughout their week abroad. Reading over the contents, Piper doesn't necessarily know whether the comments are true or not - sure they didn't exactly hide they way they feel from one another, but throughout the week the pair had been staying in their home, not a single person was seen at the private beach or occupying any of the local homes situated around them.

"Do you think we should say something?" Alex asks, turning to face the blonde having reached the end of the article.

"Do you want to say anything?"

"I feel like we should. Explaining that we're together will take away the whole idea that you're a homewrecker. You and I both know that you're the complete opposite of that, Piper."

"I just don't even know where to begin," the blonde honesty reveals, running a hand through her hair. "I think I should talk to Lorraine again… see what she thinks."

"Pipes, she's just going to say the exact same thing as what she did when she was here," the brunette responds, standing up to head to her kitchen cupboard, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses.

"Don't pour one for me," Piper says, closing the laptop lid and too standing from her chair. "I think I'll head out. I need to go keep myself busy."

Putting down the whiskey bottle after pouring herself a glass, Alex moves to follow her suddenly panicked girlfriend who is standing by the front door wrestling with her shoes while trying to tie her laces.

"It could have been a lot worse I guess," the brunette tries to console the blonde, wrapping her arms around her waist from behind when she manages to successfully put her shoes on. "Just imagine if we hadn't gone inside and just ended up fucking outside."

Chuckling slightly, Piper turns in the taller woman's arms, appreciating her attempts at lightening their rather sticky situation. "I'm so sorry, Al."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Pipes. Sure, I would prefer if pictures of us in the early processes of fucking weren't all over the internet, but at least we have a non-incriminating explanation for it all."

"You're right," Piper gives off a close-lipped smile, resting her head on Alex's shoulder.

"I think we should wait a few days before we next see each other," the older woman voices.

"Is that what you want?" Piper asks, trying to fight the onset of tears she can already feel attempting to burst from her eyes.

"No, but I think it's what's best for us right now."

"Okay," Piper says, cupping her girlfriend's jaw to join their lips innocently. "I'll call you later," she adds, pulling away to grab her jacket and open the front door.

"I'll be by the phone," Alex concludes, trying her best to smile despite feeling her heart wrench in seeing the evident sadness on her girlfriend's face as well as in her body language.


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's another update!**

 **Do I have work to do? Yes.**

 **Am I writing this instead of doing my work? Yes.**

 **I think that sums up my current motivational levels as of recent...**

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews!**

* * *

Three days later, Alex finds herself walking down the street, trying to keep her head down while wearing sunglasses to not only block out the sun, but to try and not draw attention to herself.

Her plan, however, wasn't working, as for the second day running, getting into and out of her workplace wasn't so easy. She's been wary of who was watching her in and around the streets, and despite having security based at the front of the building she works in, there seems to always be a swarm of people either trying to take her picture or ask invading questions.

Piper, on the other hand, didn't seem to be in as bad of a position. Being that her book had just come out, much of the attention was on the things she had written, rather than the things that had been written about her. They'd spoken on the phone several times since they'd last saw each other in person, and despite the blonde telling her girlfriend that everything would pass over, Alex was beginning to grow increasingly agitated that not only couldn't she concentrate on her work, but the fact that this could all be solved if Piper was open to vocalising their relationship status publicly.

Entering her apartment, Alex places her bag down and takes off her shoes before stepping into her living room and taking a seat on the sofa. Leaning to the side, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out her iPhone to call her girlfriend. The call dials until it goes to the blonde's voicemail, which indicates that she can't come to the phone and to instead leave a message. Frustrated that the blonde hasn't answered her phone, the brunette gets back up and moves into the kitchen to fix herself up some dinner, making sure to visit her alcohol cabinet along the way.

Although she tries to keep herself busy, Alex finds herself checking her phone every couple of seconds, despite the fact that her phone is plugged into her Bluetooth speaker and would therefore immediately notify her of any incoming calls or messages.

It isn't until the brunette finds herself sitting up in bed that her phone finally rings.

"Hello," Alex's tired voice fills the line.

"Al, hey. I'm sorry I didn't call back sooner - I've been busy doing interviews." Piper's chirpy voice rings into her ears. "Is everything okay?"

"Piper - I don't think I can do this anymore," the brunette begins, starting out with what's been playing on her mind throughout the day.

"Alex- what…? Are you-" the blonde begins, stuttering, "are you breaking up with me?"

"No, of course not," Alex pauses, huffing loudly. "I just can't keep hiding anymore, Piper. Everywhere I go someone's staring or trying to take my picture or asking me dumb shit and I can't fucking take it."

"Al, I don't exactly know what you want me to do about it."

"THIS IS ALL HAPPENING BECAUSE OF YOU, PIPER!" Alex shouts down the phone, growing irritated by her girlfriend's stoic tone.

"WELL I'M SORRY I CAN'T ANSWER ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS."

"MY PROBLEMS? THESE PROBLEMS ARE _OUR_ PROBLEMS," the brunette pauses to try and compose herself, not wanting to continue shouting. "Can't we just say something about being together because I don't see what could go wrong with doing that?"

"Alex, we've spoken about this. People are going to twist our words if we go to the media. Can't we just continue living our lives not caring about what other people think?"

"I've been trying to, Pipes, but I can't concentrate on anything that needs my attention."

Sighing down the line, the blonde again tries to reason.

"I don't think you get what I'm trying to say, Al."

"No, Piper. I don't think you're listening to me. I don't live like you. I'm just a normal person and I like my privacy, not being followed around by gossip and cameras all the time."

"Alex-"

"No, you're being selfish here, Piper," the brunette begins, trying hard to not stop and check if the blonde is okay given the sound of her sniffing down the line. "I'm not trying to be a dick, but this is affecting me just as much as it is you, and if you aren't going to take my opinion seriously, then I guess that's a big sign for the both of us," Alex concludes, waiting for the blonde to reply, and in hearing nothing but loud breathing coming from the other end, she hangs up the phone, tired of not only her girlfriend not realising how much their situation is affecting her, but from the weight of the past couple of days.

* * *

Sitting alone in her given dressing room, Piper twiddles her thumbs as she types and deletes whatever she had written in her message, contemplating what to send. She was still yet to further speak to Alex about their situation since their argument two days before, and although her work schedule has kept her busy, the blonde can't help but feel guilty for how she came across to her girlfriend on the phone who feels so strongly about the seemingly ongoing invasion of their privacy.

She's about to carry out a radio interview about her book, and given the fact that the station offers calls from viewers, Piper isn't looking forward to her afternoon.

A producer appears in her doorway, telling her that the studio is ready for her, and in giving her thanks with a smile, the blonde looks down at her phone one last time before clicking the send button, hoping that by the time she comes back into the room, Alex replies.

' _Are you still wanting to come with me tomorrow? You can stay over this evening?_ '

Having managed to last the vast majority of the way through her radio interview without any trouble, the blonde feels proud of herself. She was surprised that all of the viewers' calls were actually showing some form of engagement with her work, yet just when she thought she had made it to the end, the interviewer asks one final question - no longer delaying the inevitable.

"So, Piper, how was your trip to Saint Lucia?" the man asks, chuckling.

The blonde, meanwhile, has to keep herself from rolling her eyes, expecting the topic to eventually be brought up, but not having expected it to have been brought up in such a way.

Adjusting the headphones covering her ears, she turns her head to the side before providing an answer.

"It was wonderful, thanks," Piper smiles sarcastically, "I mean, apart from having my privacy invaded, it was wonderful."

The blonde's sarcastic-filled tone was enough to indicate she didn't want to talk any further about the topic at hand, and luckily enough, it seemed as though the interviewer got the hint and abruptly brought an end to the conversation entirely.

Walking back into the dressing room where she left her belongings, Piper goes straight to her bag where she had placed her phone. Turning the device back on, she waits for her notifications to come in, and in seeing she is yet to receive one from Alex, her heart drops, and upon clicking onto their chat, she sees that her message had been read, causing her heart to sink even further.

* * *

"But hey, I'm here!" Alex mentions from where she's seated on the floor. "It's been a tough week now that I'm a celebrity and all," she adds, giving off a self-deprecating laugh.

"I'm sorry it's been a few months since I last visited - things have just gotten so… intense lately with work, with my friends, with Piper," the brunette pauses, using her tongue to wet her lower lip. "I ended things with Sylvie. You were always right about that one," she huffs, looking down at her hands.

"Ever since I've been with Piper, things have been great, but I don't know what to do with all this attention. I know what you're thinking," she looks back up, "I should stop being such a sensitive dumbass, but it's hard. What's even worse is that you'd know exactly what to say to me right now," the brunette pauses again, shutting over her eyes while clenching her jaw, trying hard not to let out the tears that had been building up since she first opened her mouth.

"I miss you," she adds, reopening her eyes and blinking frequently to recalibrate her blurry focus. "And I know your birthday is coming up, so I'll make sure to stop by for a little party," Alex chuckles, wiping the set of tears rolling down her cheek with the sleeve of her grey trench coat.

"I'm gonna head home now before it gets too dark," she says, standing up and placing her hand on top of the tombstone she had been talking to for the past two hours.

"Love you always, Mom," Alex concludes, smiling at the unmoved piece of stone.

The walk back to her car was always something the brunette hated. Since her mother's passing 2 years ago, she had never fully gotten used to the process of having a one-sided conversation, especially when she knows her mother would have known just the right thing to say when she spoke in times of need.

It's cold by the time Alex gets to her car and sits down to occupy the driver's seat. She pulls out her phone, deciding that she should probably check her phone to ensure that a search party hasn't been sent out for her, and out of the 7 notifications listed on the screen, _not bad_ , she thinks - especially considering she muted her Twitter, 2 of those were from Piper: a missed call and a text message.

In her emotional state, the brunette tries to not let that get the better of her, and knowing that she isn't in the right frame of mind to entertain further conversation with her girlfriend, she opens the message and decides that it's something she's better off replying to when she's in the comfort of her own home.

The drive home is the same, sombre one she experiences whenever she goes to visit her mother; full of silence and thoughts about all the things she could have said and done were her mother still alive today.

By the time she gets home, Alex is tired. The traffic wasn't as bad as usual, yet she always did find the process of talking to a stone a draining experience. It's times like these she craved both company and alone time simultaneously; talking about how the death of her mother had affected her was never something she loved to do - she still didn't, and although she knows Piper would be willing to listen, the raven-haired woman felt that the topic would be best saved for another day where tensions between them weren't so high.

Piper, the brunette thinks, remembering she was yet to respond to her girlfriend. Her offer to stay the night was somewhat tempting, yet Alex didn't feel as though she had the mental or physical energy to not only travel to the blonde's apartment, but to entertain conversation that was either bound to end in tears or some sort of temporary half-hearted understanding.

' _I think staying at home is what I need right now, but I'll definitely see you tomorrow._ '

She knows that Piper is going to overthink the message - she doesn't blame her for probably doing so, but given her current state, Alex doesn't particularly care; right now, all she can think about is falling into a deep sleep where she can not only escape the stresses of her day, but the consuming thoughts spiralling around her head.

* * *

Having gone to bed early - unable to hack her persistent thoughts regarding Alex's well-being, Piper didn't see her girlfriend's response when it first arrived. She knew her offer to stay the night had been rejected - that in itself was pretty obvious, but when she finally checked her device upon moving to snooze her alarm, the blonde felt an element of happiness in knowing that her girlfriend wasn't going back on her word and would indeed accompany her to a writing awards ceremony that she had been invited to.

She'd gone about her daily routine the same as normal, and was pleasantly surprised to have received a message from Alex at roughly midday - just before a hair and makeup team were due to arrive:

' _Pick up at 5?_ '.

' _Perfect. See you then x_ ' the blonde replies, taking her chances by putting a kiss on the end.

The hours fly by and Piper again finds herself alone, except this time awaiting the arrival of her girlfriend while trying to not anxiously ruin her makeup. The sound of ringing indicates that Alex has arrived; after the blonde buzzes her in, she waits not so patiently for a further knock on her door.

When it finally arrives, she waits a couple of seconds before approaching - not wanting her girlfriend to think that she had been waiting by the door upon her arrival.

Swinging the door open, Piper's eyes are immediately drawn to the beauty of the tall, dark-haired woman before her. Alex is wearing a plunged jumpsuit that's dark burgundy in colour, matched with a black pair of height-adorning stilettos.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Pipes," is all the brunette says as a greeting, having followed her girlfriend's eyes during her not-so-subtle checkout.

Piper, blushing slightly at having been caught, moves away to the side of the door, letting the older woman in while trying not trip in her silver heels that match her same coloured knee-high dress paired with her loose shoulder-length hair.

"It's nice to finally see you," the blonde begins, having shut the front door.

"It's nice to see you too," Alex responds, smiling at the blonde's awkwardness. "Aren't we meant to be leaving right now?"

"Yeah," Piper confirms, not moving from her spot until she shakes her head and turns back to open the door. "I'm all ready, so I don't know why I even shut the door," she chuckles, trying to attribute her actions in a humorous manner.

"I appreciate it when a person's polite and lets me in," Alex joins in, stepping out of the door and waiting for the blonde to lock her apartment before they head to her car.

"So are you sure you want me to drive and not get a car to take us or something?" the brunette goes on to ask as they enter the elevator.

"If you don't mind driving I'd prefer that in case we need to make a quick exit," Piper reveals, standing next to her girlfriend yet keeping a safe distance.

The blonde watches the brunette rest her hands on the metal bar behind them - stretching slightly, and debates placing her own hand next to her companion's, testing the waters for physical contact. She manages to place her left hand on the bar, and just as the sides of their pinkies - for a split second - subtly meet, the elevator doors open and Alex moves away, holding an arm out to indicate for the blonde to lead the way.

The atmosphere is somewhat tense upon getting into the car, and it isn't until Alex walks around to the driver's side, which creates an increased distance, that the blonde remembers to breathe. However, when both women are finally seated in the car, the tension is palpable.

The sound of Piper putting on her seat belt along with the sound of Alex fumbling with her keys - trying to insert them into the ignition, fills the air. It isn't until the blonde finishes with her task that she realises the engine hasn't started and Alex's keys can no longer be heard.

Turning her head to the side, she sees her girlfriend's green orbs - protected by her black, secretary-like glasses - looking her way. Without sharing a word, the brunette leans forward and cups the blonde's cheek, fusing their lips together in a longing kiss. It's the first real form of intimacy that they've shared in days - a fact that isn't lost on either woman when the sound of light moans is now the only thing that can be heard throughout the vehicle, as well as the fact that Piper had launched both of her hands forward to run through her girlfriend's long, dark hair.

Pulling away - not wanting to get carried away and make them late, Alex rests their foreheads together.

"Let's just try and enjoy tonight. Even if we have to pretend to like the food they serve at these things," the older woman whispers, the double meaning to her comment being something the blonde appreciates.

"Sure. I'm happy you came."

"I'm happy to be here," Alex smiles, pulling away to put on her own seat belt and turn on the ignition.

The car turns out of the space it was parked in, and by the time they reach their first red light, the blonde feels a hand reach over to hers, carefully intertwining their fingers.


	15. Chapter 15

"This is weird," Alex says as they get out of her car, being that they had to park a few roads away from where the event was taking place.

"What is?"

"That you're up for an award and here we are parking a few streets away like we're just going to the cinema or something," the brunette laughs, followed by the blonde letting out a giggle.

"Yeah, well I didn't want to make a big deal out of it… and I'd prefer if this were over sooner rather than later."

"Why's that?" Alex asks as the blonde loops their arms together.

"I don't want to spend our time together surrounded by a bunch of people who are just trying to pry into our privacy."

"I'm surprised my invite was still on the table," the older woman voices quietly, not wanting to start another confrontation.

"I'm surprised you didn't turn it down," Piper honestly responds, "but let's not think about that," she adds, smiling at her girlfriend as they turn the corner of the road they had been walking on towards where the event was being held.

"Is that the place?" Alex asks, looking towards the group of cameras by the front of a theatre down the street.

"No, they're just there for the fun of it," the blonde replies sarcastically.

"Alright, smartass," the brunette smiles, shoving her girlfriend's shoulder.

Upon their approach, the pair detach themselves from one another, and while trying to walk through to the entrance without being noticed was their initial plan, it was one that fell through immediately due to being spotted.

Reporters turn - obviously in their element at the sight of the two women together - and face their cameras towards the two women, attempting to get the best images possible of the pairing. A series of flashes invade their vision, and while the women make their way through the crowd of people, a flood of questions are thrown their way.

Choosing to ignore the vocalisations being aimed at them, the couple eventually manage to enter the building and emerge into the main hall where they find their seats on a round table surrounded by a group of writers with their plus ones - a few of which the blonde had met before.

The ceremony turned out to be surprisingly entertaining for the pair, yet it wasn't until the very end where the blonde was finally up for an award: _Author of the Year_. Her second book that had been out for quite some time was the one up for the award, and despite the range of equally successful authors nominated in the room alongside her, Piper was the expected winner, and when her name was indeed was read aloud - announcing that she had won the award, the room erupts into a cordial rhythm of applause in the form of a standing ovation.

In the short period in which they were waiting for the results to be read out, Alex took hold of her girlfriend's hand under the table - squeezing out of reassurance, and when the blonde eventually stood up, she didn't let the brunette's hand go, instead choosing to keep their hands linked while using her free right hand to cup the back of the taller woman's neck and kiss her on the cheek as she smiles at the congratulating words that are whispered into her ear in return.

The walk to the podium isn't extortionately long, but seems like forever for the blonde - especially when she's focusing on not falling over in front of a large room filled with extremely influential people due to the height of her heels.

Piper is handed the award by the year's previous winner, and now finds herself standing at the forefront of hundreds of sets of eyes watching her every move as well as listening to everything that comes out of her mouth.

"Hey everyone," the blonde chuckles, looking down at the trophy in her hands. "I'd never have expected this in a million years," she pauses again, causing the room to chuckle along with her at the blonde's seeming speechlessness.

The blonde carries out a short speech - giving all the generic levels of thanks, until she takes one last pause, huffing into the microphone emotionally.

"And finally, I'd like to thank the person who has made this all possible for me weren't it for her actually reading some of my work coming up to 4 years ago," Piper begins, eyes scanning around the room of avid listeners, trying to stop her build-up of tears from leaking.

"We've been through a lot recently… well, by that I mean _a lot_ of shit," the blonde chuckles along with the room, not caring that her foul language is being recorded. "But your support has meant everything to me, and I'm glad that along the way we've worked some things out," Piper pauses one last time, blinking repeatedly as a small flow of tears stains her cheeks while clearing her voice to hide the high-pitched cracks it was beginning to present.

"Alex," she continues, finally making eye contact with her girlfriend who is looking straight back at her, a close-lipped smile adorning her lips. "You're the greatest thing to have walked into my life, and I love you for that," the blonde's voice inevitably cracks - something she knew she wouldn't have been able to have avoided no matter how hard she tried. "And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you," Piper smiles, saying one more emotional thank you before walking off the side of the stage to another soundtrack of applause.

She's both relieved and nervous about the awaiting aftermath of the events that had just transpired; yes, she had just voiced her love for her girlfriend on a platform where the information will spread like wildfire, but the things that had come out of her mouth were things she hadn't mentioned to the brunette before, catalysing a new hope that the idea of spending a lifetime together won't scare Alex off.

Being that her award was the last of the ceremony, the blonde moves straight into a small interview station where she has her picture taken and has a few questions directed her way. In that moment, Piper feels spaced out; people bombarding her with questions is the last place she wants to be, and before any more can be asked - and before anyone gets to pick apart her speech, the blonde says her thanks and heads out to try and finally find Alex.

Having left her clutch with her girlfriend, she has no phone to use, yet as she is escorted out into the main after-party event, she sees the brunette standing in the filled room from afar. Thanking the security member who subsequently turns and heads back the other way, Piper approaches the tall woman, delivering a toothy smile that's mirrored when Alex looks up, obviously having sensed someone coming her way.

"Hey," the blonde says, failing to hide her happiness.

"Hey right back at ya," Alex responds, opening her arms to pull the blonde into a tight embrace. "I'm proud of you, Pipes."

"You are?"

"I am," the brunette confirms sincerely. "I loved the speech."

"You didn't think it was too much?" Piper asks, pulling away slightly.

"I think it was perfect."

"Cringey much?"

"You love it," Alex pokes her arm.

"And I love you," the blonde smiles.

"And you say I'm the cringey one?"

"Shut up," Piper laughs, returning a small hit to the taller woman's arm.

"I do love you back though," the brunette eventually voices quietly.

"Phew," the blonde huffs out, "that would have been embarrassing… you know, with the speech and all," she trails off.

" _Totally_ embarrassing."

In a spirit of the moment manoeuvre, Piper places her hands around her girlfriend's face and leans in, delivering an appropriate - yet passionate - kiss.

"Thanks for coming."

"Of course - any time," the brunette smiles before leaning back. "Wanna get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Piper says in a low tone, letting her girlfriend know where the rest of their evening will be taking them, and despite both women feeling as though all eyes are on them, for the first time in their romantic relationship, it isn't something that bothers them.

* * *

"You good?" Alex asks from where she's leaning above her girlfriend, body naked.

"Mmm-hmm," Piper mumbles, tilting her head backwards from where she's lying in the same state of undress as her counterpart. "Ready," she says breathily, trying hard to not give into the feeling of jutting her hips upwards, desperately trying to seek any form of contact.

"Okay," Alex responds, leaning down to continue their zealous kiss, smiling at the feeling of the blonde's hands running through her hair to keep the contact between their lips.

Several minutes pass until the blonde pulls back on the brunette's hair, creating a level of distance between their faces.

"Al, I can't wait any longer," she mutters, and before the blonde can add to her statement, the brunette descends on her body, whereby she eventually is lying on her stomach between her girlfriend's legs.

The sudden sensation of hot breath against her centre causes the blonde's hips to buck upwards, and it isn't until she feels Alex's tongue run through her most intimate spot that she feels her resolve crumble, whereby she uses her hands to anchor down the older woman head.

Piper is loud; moans fill the blonde's bedroom at a growing rate, and when she feels her girlfriend pull away from her centre despite the pressure of her right hand, her head flies forwards.

"Alex, what're you-" she begins, but doesn't get to finish her sentence when the brunette rests her chin on her navel, fingers running along her abdominal.

"You still wanting this?" Alex asks as she looks over at the side table, and in seeing the blonde's eyes follow her line of vision - returning with a nod, she sits up and gets up from the bed, moving to prepare herself.

Resting up on her shoulders, the blonde watches her girlfriend's fluid movements as she takes the item from the sideboard and adjusts her own positioning while making the new addition to her body.

Venturing into more adventurous waters in the bedroom was something Piper had hinted on during the last time they had been left panting under the covers a few weeks before. The very little alone time they had shared hindered a progression of sorts, but in taking a more… _specific_ shopping trip, the blonde ensured she would act out on all of the fantasies she had roaming around her head staring herself and her girlfriend.

When she's no longer alone on the bed, Piper lowers herself back down, wrapping her arms around the brunette's back as she leans down to peck her lips.

The sensation of the hard item running gently through her folds courtesy of another person is one the blonde hadn't experienced in a long time. It was something she was looking forward to doing with Alex, but since suggesting this was something she wanted to try with the older woman, Piper could sense her girlfriend's hesitancy. The blonde found it to be a somewhat intimate act, but as Alex asks for one final time if she's okay and begins to slide the hard end of her appendage into her centre, all rational thoughts dissipate from her kind.

" _Fuck, Alex_ ," is all the blonde manages to get out as the sensation of slowly being filled takes over her entire body.

The brunette is going slow - cautious of hurting the woman below her, but when their hips finally touch - indicating that the blonde has taken the vast majority of the extension's length, Alex pauses, awaiting a form of confirmation that what she's done so far is as pleasurable for Piper than it is for herself.

The blonde doesn't even place a doubt in her girlfriend's mind, as she's being as vocal as she's ever been out of all of their sexual encounters. Her toned body is covered in sweat, and as she finally manages to adjust to the size of the object filling her centre, Piper places her hands around Alex's neck - pushing her long, dark hair out the way, to give tones of encouragement.

"You can start to move," she huffs out through heavy breath, and in seeing Alex's emerald orbs searching her own for complete consent, Piper's heart flutters; her girlfriend's need to make sure she's okay is one she greatly appreciates.

Listening to the blonde below her, Alex slowly starts to move her hips, which elicits a flurry of emotions for the pair.

Placing her hands either side of the blonde, Alex continues to thrust her hips forward and back, before placing her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck, panting heavily at the pleasure shooting throughout her body.

Piper, meanwhile, places her hands on her girlfriend's back, running her fingers along her reddening skin at an increasing pace that matches the shared movements of their hips.

"God, Pipes," Alex pants without her hips faltering their levels of control.

"Right there," the blonde returns, her vocalisations increasing in volume. "Right fucking there, Al."

If anyone were to have walked in, neither woman would have been able to have stopped; they were both too far gone to focus on anything other than their up-and-coming pleasurable crescendo.

"I'm close, Al," Piper voices, tilting her head back while grounding her hands down onto Alex's hips.

"Getting there," Alex pants out, increasing the speed of her hips to try and catch up with her girlfriend.

"Fuck, I need to-" the blonde begins, her body stiffening up.

"Let it go, Pipes," Alex says, trying to encourage the woman below her.

"No-" Piper pauses through clenches teeth, obviously trying to further tense her body to not let herself fly over the edge, "together."

Seeing the struggle of conflicting emotions her girlfriend was going through, the brunette leans upwards slightly and takes the blonde's hand, directing it towards her clit. Piper immediately catches onto the older woman's needs and runs two fingers under the lining of where the toy was attached to her body and along her pulsing need.

Within seconds, Alex's body joins the blonde's in stiffening up as she begins to fall from her climax.

"I'm gonna come," the brunette voices, knowing that's what her girlfriend had been waiting to hear; the blonde lets out a loud moan as she allows the tension from her body to dissolve.

"FUCK, ALEX, I'M CUMMING! I'M CUMMING!" Piper repeats, screaming into the ceiling while her hands land on Alex's ass, pushing downwards.

The brunette's resolve snaps as she too voices her climax, moving down to rest her head into the blonde's neck, groaning as her body shakes.

The grip on the older woman's ass eventually relents as Piper's breathing returns to normal, while Alex herself stops the continual movement of her hips.

Leaning down, Alex connects their lips in a loving kiss, which soon becomes heated when the blonde slides her tongue along her girlfriend's bottom lip, begging for entrance.

Not wanting to hurt the woman below her, Alex pulls away and begins to move her hips backwards until the wet, shimmering extension is completely removed from inside the blonde's centre.

Both women are tired; they had began round one in the shower before moving to the bed, and along with the long evening they had experienced, neither seemed as though they could physically continue.

"Hey," Alex says, lying down next to the blonde.

"Hey. That was incredible," Piper comments, turning onto her side and resting her hand along the brunette's toned abdominal region.

"You can say that again," the older woman smiles. "I love you, Pipes."

"I love you too," Piper mirrors, blushing slightly before failing to cover up a yawn.

Lifting the duvet that was falling off the bottom of the bed, Alex covers their bodies and rolls the blonde into a spooning position, and as she goes to voice one more thing, she hears the light breathing of her girlfriend, indicating that she had already fallen asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**I know it's short, but I'm working on it...**

* * *

Faint rays of light peak through the bedroom's curtains as the blonde lies awake. In deciding to not wake up her sleeping girlfriend, Piper grabs her iPhone from the nightstand and checks up on all of her unread messages as well as the latest news.

Her attempts in being peaceful, however, falls through, as when her finger slips mid-scroll, the device falls from her hand, landing directly onto her face.

"Fuck," the blonde shouts, reaching her right hand up to rub the bridge of her nose.

"Hmm, now?" a low, husky voice asks as the bed shuffles, indicating that the person occupying the other side had just turned over.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you," Piper says, placing her phone back away before turning onto her side so that she's now facing her girlfriend.

"What time is it?" Alex asks, eyes still shut.

"Just after 9."

"Why don't you ever let me sleep in?" the brunette grumbles, trying to hide a smile.

"I let you sleep in," the blonde tries to counter argue.

"Are you not tired from last night?" Alex digresses, not understanding how Piper is awake so early considering the time in which they eventually went to bed.

"Surprisingly not," the blonde shuffles closer, running her fingers down her girlfriend's jawline. "I'm guessing you are?"

"Considering it was me doing all the work - yeah: I am," Alex chuckles, still keeping her eyes shut to avoid seeing the blonde's reaction.

Piper, however, decides to show rather than voice what she's thinking, whereby she leans forwards to connect their lips, smiling into the kiss when she feels her girlfriend's reciprocation.

In their equal state of nakedness, the blonde takes advantage of the brunette's recently woken state and moves so that her body is lying on top of her girlfriend. She can begin to feel Alex's state of consciousness begin to reach normal levels, and when she feels two hands anchoring down on the skin of her hips, squeezing lightly, Piper detaches their lips, instead moving hers down the older woman's body until she's eventually lying between her legs with the duvet now resting on her calf muscles.

The first extension of her tongue grants the blonde with a guttural moan from the woman above her followed by the feeling of a hand running through her shoulder-length hair.

Knowing that her actions alone turns Alex into a crumbling mess is something that will always make the blonde's heart flutter, and as she looks up into her girlfriend's eyes while teasing her opening with the tip of her tongue, Piper smirks before fully penetrating her opening, trying her best not to give in herself at the sight of Alex's head tilting back as a string of profanities roll off her tongue.

* * *

"Knock knock," the blonde says as she turns the door handle of her girlfriend's office, smiling at the sight of her working with a pair of headphones in while looking at her computer screen with great levels of focus.

The sound of the closing door makes the brunette jump in her seat slightly, causing the blonde to chuckle.

"Fuck, you scared me," Alex voices loudly before pulling out her headphones.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were still busy," Piper says apologetically while still standing by the door. "I can go if you want me to?" she adds in question, hooking her thumb backwards towards the door.

"No! Stay!" the brunette argues definitively.

It had been a week since the couple had last stayed the night together, and despite her busy schedule, the blonde wanted to make an effort to try and visit her girlfriend whenever she had a spare moment.

"I brought dinner," Piper says, holding up two plastic bags of the Chinese food she had picked up upon her arrival.

"See - this is why I love you," Alex smiles, getting up from her desk to follow the blonde over to the sofa located at the side of her office.

"Just because I'm aware of your eating habits?" the blonde asks as she watches her girlfriend rummage through one of the bags having taken a seat next to her.

"Hmm?" Alex murmurs, having already stuffed her mouth with a spring roll.

Piper, knowing that the woman next to her has been having a busy working week, takes a moment to smile at her girlfriend. "You forgot to have lunch again, didn't you?"

"I wouldn't say I forgot," Alex pauses, taking another bite of food. "I just didn't have the time."

"You can't not eat during the day, Al," the blonde places a hand on the brunette's knee, squeezing it lightly.

"I know. I've just had a long few days," she pauses again, putting her food down before placing her hand over the one resting on her knee while turning her head to the side. "Hey," she smiles sheepishly.

"Hey," Piper chuckles. "That was quite the delayed welcome."

"Yeah, well, you overwhelm me," Alex honestly responds, leaning forward to deliver a peck onto her girlfriend's lips. "Thanks for dinner."

"Well, it's better than a bowl of cereal when you get home," Piper bites down on her lower lip while rummaging through the other bag of food.

"So what's been going on in your world?" Alex asks as she hands a box of noodles over to her counterpart.

"I went and saw Polly and Finn today, but other than that, it's been surprisingly quiet for a change. You still busy?"

"Yeah - they've been getting me to proof read over some material but it's a pain in the ass," the brunette pauses, not wanting to go off on a tangent about her stressful working life. "What's up?" she proceeds to ask in seeing the blonde spacing out.

"My book tour's been pushed forward."

"And that's troubling you?"

"We already had plans for the weekend, Al, but now I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Alex repeats, eyebrows raised. "I thought you weren't leaving until next week?"

"I thought that too," Piper leans back, sighing loudly. "I just wish I could be there for-"

"Pipes-" Alex begins to argue, not wanting her girlfriend to drown in her guilt.

"No, Alex, it sucks that I won't be there for you on your mom's birthday," the blonde sternly gets out, causing a silence to echo around the room.

"I don't mind. I normally spend the day alone anyway. Hell, we would spend the day alone together when she was still alive."

"That doesn't mean that you have to be alone this year as well."

"Look, I get it - you want to help, but I'm okay, Pipes. I appreciate it, but everything you've worked for has built up to this and it's important to you."

"It doesn't mean I don't get to feel bad about leaving."

"I know," Alex says, extending her right arm over the back of the sofa behind the blonde's shoulders, "and that's another thing I love about you," she smiles, which widens at the sight of her girlfriend trying to fight back the mirrored image herself.

"I might take me a little while to complete that list on my part," Piper admits honestly.

"Hmm, well you've got plenty of time to start on that," Alex says in comedic style while winking before bringing her arm back over to her body so that she can continue to eat her food.

* * *

Approaching the familiar spot that's branded into her memory, Alex squints as she sees an unfamiliar sight. At the base of her mother's headstone lines a bunch of flowers - _beautifully fitting flowers_ , she notes. Upon reaching the all too familiar spot, Alex leans down to inspect the flowers and takes her right hand out of the pocket of her jeans to inspect the small, white card hidden in the petals.

The cursive handwriting is instantly familiar - something that makes her heart swell.

 _I know it isn't your birthday just yet, but here I am!_

 _You always looked out for me throughout the short period in which we knew each other and I'll forever be grateful for that. I promise I'll do the same for Alex and I'll continue to make sure this is the last time she goes through things alone._

 _I miss you, Diane._

 _Love,_

 _Piper._

Smiling down at the card, Alex places it back between the petals before taking off her jacket and placing down onto the grass so that she can take a seat.

"I see Piper stopped by to wish you a Happy Birthday," the brunette begins, trying hard not to let her emotions get the better of her.

She isn't sure how much time passes by; she'd spent the entire time reminiscing over past birthdays the pair had experienced together - trying her best to not give in to the fact that each special occasion doesn't seem to get any easier when concerning the loss of her mother.

When she eventually wraps up what she had been saying, the brunette stands up, grabs her jacket, and turns to begin making the slow walk back to her car when she then sees her.

Piper is standing in a dark grey trench coat with sunglasses on, her hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Pipes-" is all the brunette can mutter before the blonde takes several steps forwards and envelopes her girlfriend into a hug.

"It's okay," is all the blonde says, sensing that the older woman is overcome with emotion, especially given the slight rising and falling of her shoulders.

"What're you doing here?" Alex asks, pulling away from the crook of her girlfriend's neck, eyes watering.

"I meant it when I said I wanted to be there for you," the blonde responds, stroking her girlfriend's cheek, wiping away her fallen tears.

"But your-"

"I don't care about that right now, Al. Let's just get you home, okay?"

"Okay," the brunette tiredly huffs out, allowing her girlfriend to link their hands together and lead the way to where she had parked her car.

* * *

 **I've also managed to fuck up and break my arm. Typing is now quite the challenge. Please bear with...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks for the comments about my broken self - they did make me chuckle.**

 **Please let me know what you think in the reviews and what you might like to see next!**

* * *

The two weeks in which Piper is gone come to an end, and although she hadn't been there in person, the blonde ensured she kept tabs - as best as she could - on her girlfriend and her well-being.

Since taking the brunette home after visiting her at her mother's grave, Piper could only stay until the next morning; catching a flight out of state wasn't what she ideally wanted to be doing, but it was something Alex insisted she went along with - especially considering she missed her earlier one out of guilt.

Her working schedule was gruelling and long, and with the time differences she encountered throughout the weeks she was gone, the contact with her girlfriend wasn't as available as she would have liked.

Tired from her final flight for the time being, Piper is picked up by a driver before she sits back in the car's luxury leather seats. Pulling out her phone, she goes to call the person that's been on her mind but holds back. She had told Alex that she would be back the following evening, but in having had her flight changed to the morning, she planned on surprising the older woman.

Her main hope is that her girlfriend isn't busy; when they did have the chance to talk throughout the week, Alex was busy dealing with a new client - a _female_ client - that - although she didn't want to openly admit it - stirred levels of uncertainty. The woman - according to Alex - is irritable and demanding when it comes to how she wants her work laid out, and no matter how many times the brunette offers some form of feedback, her client seems to think otherwise, instead attempting to file extra meetings.

Whenever she would call, the brunette often seemed spaced out and would only mention her work, and despite the fact that Piper knows she can trust her girlfriend, it doesn't stop her innate levels of self consciousness and jealousy to take over.

Arriving home at her apartment, the blonde quickly drops off her suitcase, grabs her car keys and heads to her vehicle. The drive to Alex's work place is slower than she expected; she'd momentarily forgotten about the traffic that surrounds the area in which her girlfriend works in, but by the time she finds a space to park, the number of people on the roads is the last thing on her mind.

Getting out of her car, the blonde heads into Alex's work building whereby the workers - most of whom she's rather familiar with - greet her upon entry. Stepping into the empty lift up to the floor in which her girlfriend works on, Piper brushes her outfit down to ensure she's somewhat presentable considering she had just gotten off a long flight. She's wearing a black blazer with matching office trousers and heels that complement a light blue shirt - an outfit that she had specifically chosen knowing how much Alex loves her in formal office attire.

Undoing an extra button from the top of her shirt, the blonde steps out of the elevator and walks down the long corridor until she reaches the door at the end she was looking for.

Upon knocking lightly three times, she twists the door handle and pushes open the wooden barrier, excited to see the person that had been invading her thoughts throughout the last two weeks.

Piper's smile soon drops, as when she enters the room, her girlfriend doesn't look up, instead she is still in an in depth conversation with a client. It isn't necessarily the brunette's lack of response that irritates Piper, it's the fact that another _specific_ female client - blonde hair similar to her own - is the one catching Alex's attention.

The brunette is seated in her normal office chair whereby the smaller blonde - who is wearing a navy skirt and blouse - is standing next to Alex, leaning over her as they both read over a piece of paper that is lying on the desk. Alex obviously is too focused on whatever she's writing to look up, and considering what comes out of her mouth in hearing the door open, she was obviously awaiting the arrival of her assistant.

"You can leave them on the sofa over there. Thanks Allison."

The comment causes Piper to raise her eyebrows - feeling slightly agitated that her girlfriend hadn't looked up, and in seeing the shorter woman standing next to Alex look up, deliver a smug smile, and then look back down at the paper in front of them, Piper's blood begins to boil.

"Last time I checked, I'm not called Allison," is all the blonde says, trying hard not to give off a smirk herself at the sight of Alex's head snapping upwards at the sound of her voice.

"Pipes-" the brunette responds while giving off a toothy smile, instinctively going to move her chair, but seemingly having a limited range of movement considering her client is practically draped over her in which invading her personal space.

"Sorry," the smaller blonde says to Alex yet not making an effort to move back, instead turning her head over to Piper. "Have we already ran over?"

"Oh, no," Piper says, lifting her hands into the air. "Please, continue. I can come back."

"No - it's fine, we were just finishing up here," Alex says, managing to successfully push her chair backwards from her desk.

"Alex is this due tomorrow. We need to finish it," the smaller blonde says, sounding somewhat worried.

"It's perfectly fine as it is, Liz," the brunette says, turning towards her girlfriend. "I'll be one minute."

Piper, meanwhile, doesn't dare make eye contact with the brunette, instead gluing her eyes onto the woman who is staring down her girlfriend's top, obviously trying to get an eye-full of her cleavage.

"Listen, Liz," Alex again begins, turning back to her client as she stands from her chair and places a hand on her upper arm. "We've been through this. Just send it over and then I'll get back to you tomorrow."

"That's not what we agreed on; you-" the younger woman begins to challenge, causing Piper's restraint to break.

"You know, I'll just leave you two to it," she voices, delivering a fake smile before turning to leave the room.

"Piper!" she hears Alex calling but proceeds to leave the room, not wanting to make Alex look bad in front of her client.

The blonde soon hears the sound of the door reopening and another echo of her name. She stops where she's walking down the private corridor that's lone possession is Alex and her assistant's working spaces, and turns around.

"Alex - it's okay. Go and finish your work with _Liz_ ," she says, placing a dreamy tone filled with sarcasm on the blonde woman's name.

"Did you not just hear that whole conversation? We were just finishing up."

"It didn't look like that to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She obviously likes you, Alex," Piper rolls her eyes, shaking her head sideways to emphasise her point.

"Piper - she works with me."

"So did I and look where that took us," the blonde replies sharply.

"Piper that's different. You're my girlfriend," Alex sighs, pushing her hair back with her right hand before taking a step closer to reach out for the blonde's hand. "Will you just please come back inside?"

As Piper goes to give her response, the two are no longer alone in the hallway.

"Alex I think we could-" the high-pitched voice rings throughout their ears.

"Can't you see we're in the middle of something here?!" Piper asks, the anger in her tone evident.

"Well we were also in the middle of something too before you rudely interrupted," the smaller blonde snaps back, tilting her head to the side.

"Oh what could be more important than you trying to subtly fuck your colleague,?" Piper says sarcastically, rotating her neck while rolling her eyes.

"Why would that matter to you anyway?" the smaller woman asks, something that agitated Piper more; she didn't admit that trying to sleep with Alex wasn't her motive.

"When it's me that gets to fuck her when we go back home together, it matters."

"Jesus where did you find this girl, I bet she's real fun," the younger woman scrunches her face as she looks over at Alex.

Before the brunette gets a chance to step in and defend her girlfriend, she's beaten to it, as when Piper takes a few steps forward and angles her body, she pushes the other woman so that her back is against the wall and begins to talk in a low whisper.

"I would let you in on a little secret about what goes on between us back on that desk you were working on, but you're right: _where is_ the fun in that?"

The small blonde - now enraged by how Piper had embarrassed her - goes to retaliate, but before she manages to lunge forward to get her revenge, Alex steps in.

"You need to go and not come back."

Stepping to the side and away from the two taller women, the blonde laughs.

"Don't kid yourself - you need my sales, Alex. I'll call in tomorrow," she adds, beginning to walk down the hallway.

"Don't," Alex shuts her down in a warning-like tone, grabbing Piper's hand and pulling her back towards her office. "Oh, and don't ring me anymore either," she concludes, slamming the door shut behind her.

Now alone in Alex's office, Piper observes her girlfriend's chest rising and falling rapidly - why though, she's unsure.

Without a word being exchanged between them, the blonde then witnesses the woman before her take a few short strides to lessen the distance between them before feeling a set of hands land on the side of her face, crashing their lips together passionately.

She tries to fight back - feeling somewhat guilty for how she had acted, but it leads to no avail, as with the touch of Alex's tongue plunging into her mouth, Piper begins to crumble.

Switching their positions, Alex pushes the blonde up against the door, placing both of her hands above her head in which her wrists are being held captive.

"So you leave for a week and then think it's okay to just come in here while I'm working," Alex begins to voice between kisses, "and accuse me of fucking my client," she continues, ripping her lips away from the blonde's to attach them to her slender neck.

"I didn't say you fucked," Piper tries to reason through heavy breath.

"But you were thinking it," Alex challenges, feeling a surge of adrenaline course through her body having witnessed her girlfriend's jealousy.

Piper can only let out a groan at the feeling of her girlfriend's lips grazing her neck, yet Alex seems unsatisfied by her lack of answer as shown in the way she bites down on the reddening skin, causing the blonde to try and move her hands to keep Alex's head in place yet finds them still held strongly against the door above her head.

"Answer me, Pipes."

"I wasn't thinking it," she admits.

"So you were just jealous then. What did you think I'd do all the things I've done to you in here to her? Do you think I fuck everyone I work with as I go along?" Alex asks demandingly, making Piper's knees buckle at the dominance of the woman pressed against her.

The blonde hesitates, not wanting to say something to further anger her girlfriend, yet it seems as though giving no answer was the worst option she could have possibly chosen as before she can let out another breath, Alex drags her by her wrists over to her desk, whereby she pushes off its contents and shoves Piper's body so that her stomach is resting on top of the surface.

"Maybe this'll get you to talk," the brunette whispers into the blonde's ear, placing her arms on her waist and squeezing the skin.

"You wore this outfit on purpose, didn't you?" Alex goes on to ask, running her hands down from the blonde's hips to her ass, rubbing the surface over her tight trousers.

"I flew straight after I had an early morning meeting."

"So you wore these tight trousers on the plane too. Who're you trying to impress?" the brunette goes on to ask, moving her hands back to her girlfriend's hips, pulling them back slightly so that her own front makes contact with the blonde's ass.

"Y-you," Piper stutters out, not knowing how much longer she can take Alex's dramatic act.

"So you did wear this outfit on purpose?"

"Okay, I did!" the blonde shouts into the desk, impatience evident throughout her tone.

"Is see," is all Alex says, moving her hands around the blonde's front to undo her trousers and pull down the zipper. "You're a little wet down there, Pipes. Did you spill your water on the plane or something?" she goes on to ask as her hand rests on top of the blonde's damp laced underwear.

"You made me wet," Piper huffs out, trying hard to not focus on the light contact being that the feeling of combustion already begins to shock her core.

"I don't remember dropping anything on you? Are you sure it was me."

"Positive," the blonde groans, moving her right hand down to try and push her girlfriend's hand into her underwear but is stopped by Alex's free one grabbing her wrist.

"What're you doing?"

"I think you should assess the damage down there considering it was you that caused it."

"What makes you think you deserve to be helped and not punished?"

Turning her face so that she's now looking into her girlfriend's darkened, lust-filled green eyes, Piper answers while pushing her ass further back.

"Punish me then."

Despite trying to play the dominant part in their intimate exchange, the blonde's comment causes Alex's insides to constrict and her eyes to flutter over - this was the first real time she'd heard Piper talk dirty in a place other than the bedroom and _by God_ was she enjoying it.

Without vocalising her intentions, Alex pushes her hand into the blonde's underwear - her groan masked by the loud moan coming from the woman below her who had turned back to the front where she's now resting her forehead on the piece of wood supporting her.

"If you insist," the brunette finally says as she runs her fingers down the blonde's soaked slit, plunging two inside quicker than Piper had expected.

"Fuck, Alex," the blonde shouts out, extending her arms to grip the edge of the opposite side of the desk.

"In case you hadn't noticed, this isn't what was happening when you walked in," Alex begins while thrusting her hand as forcefully as she can given the fact that the blonde's trousers are still in their regular position. "And you've never walked in to something like this happening," she adds, resting her head on the back of the blonde's neck, breath heating her skin.

"I noticed."

"What made you so jealous, Pipes."

"I wasn't-"

"Don't lie," Alex reprimands, slowing down her hand before pulling her fingers out to which only her fingertips are inside her girlfriend's centre.

"Al, what're you-"

"I suggest you answer me honestly or you'll see that I'm not always so nice," the brunette growls into the blonde's ear while smirking at the feeling of goosebumps erupting along the younger woman's soft skin.

Feeling her cheeks blush while she thinks through her explanation, Piper is jolted with pleasure as she feels Alex's left hand deliver a harsh slap onto the surface of her ass - something that she hadn't done before, yet something Piper happily - and vocally - welcomed.

"I've just lost two weeks of hard work because of you so fucking answer me, Piper," she demands with a stern voice.

When the feeling of a second slap along with the lack of movement from Alex's fingers gets too much for her, Piper sobs into the desk, feeling her cheeks blushing all the while grateful for the fact that her girlfriend can't see her face as she speaks.

"I was jealous," she reveals upon subsequently crumbling into the desk as Alex's skilled fingers sink back inside her wet centre.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" the brunette asks in a smug manner before leaning her body forward so that she can talk into the blonde's ear.

"Now you know how I feel about the fact that you're now some sort of sex symbol, but I have to admit that jealous you really got me going," she adds, running her tongue along the blonde's jawline while speeding up her fingers.

"God, Al, this is so hot," Piper groans out, her knuckles beginning to tire due to their tight grip on the edge of the desk.

"And I'll tell you something else, Piper Chapman," Alex begins before lowering her voice an octave, "you're mine. Mine to touch; mine to look at; mine to fuck… anyone or anything isn't going to change that."

Although in more explicit terms, Piper's heart flutters at the underlying meaning of her girlfriend's message. She feels an urge to touch the older woman, watch her face as she talks, and as she turns her head while using her left hand to grab Alex's head, she pushes their lips together in a passionate kiss - one giving off both the heat of the intimacy they're sharing along with the pragmatic attentiveness of their current ambiance.

"I love you," Piper manages to get out as she bites down on Alex's bottom lip, struggling to breathe and speak at the same time.

Alex, meanwhile, doesn't allow their activity to turn into a conversation, instead leaning back and turning the blonde over so that her backside now rests against the edge of the desk, almost as though she's sitting down.

Ensuring that their lips are still fused and that her hand is still doing it's work, Alex relents and gives in to the pleasure of what she's experiencing - going along with where their emotions are currently taking them.

By the time Piper's breathing is near uncontrollable, the brunette skillfully adds a third finger, and it doesn't take long before the blonde stiffens up and lets go, announcing her powerful orgasm along with the calling of Alex's name as she throws her arms around her girlfriend's neck while also burying her face into its crook.

They remain silent for several minutes, both trying to catch their breath, and it isn't until Piper pulls away from the older woman's now sweaty neck to look into her eyes that it breaks.

"Hi," she smiles, blushing at how she was leading their post-coital conversation.

"Hey," Alex chuckles, amused by her girlfriend's sudden bashfulness.

"That was-"

"Too much?" Alex asks, afraid she may have initially taken things too far.

"No! No - I liked it. I was going to say unexpected," Piper answers, using her fingers to play with the opened collar of Alex's shirt.

"I didn't think you'd be back until this evening?"

"My flight changed," she pauses to look down at her fingers before returning back to Alex's eyes. "I really missed this, Alex," the blonde admits, suddenly feeling vulnerable under the older woman's green gaze.

"Sex?"

"No. Well, I mean _of course_ I missed the sex but I missed this: conversation."

"I missed it too," the brunette gives a close-lipped smile, pecking the blonde's nose as she senses a tone of embarrassment. "Do you wanna come back to mine?"

"Now? Don't you have work to be doing?"

"Well I did, but considering you nearly beat up my client in the hallway, I think my schedule's looking pretty clear from now on."

"Shit, Alex, I'm sorry I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."

"She is a bitch anyway," Alex smiles which is mirrored by the blonde. "And it was pretty hot."

"So that's what gets you going now?"

"Anything you do gets me going, Pipes, I thought you'd have figured that out by now," the brunette voices, laughing at her girlfriend's light punch.

"Let's get going then," Piper counters, pushing Alex back by the shoulders followed up by doing up her trousers and waiting for the older woman to collect her belongings to take home.

"So are we going back home together or are we going back _home_ together?" Alex ask from where she was bent down putting some things into a cabinet with her back to the blonde.

Piper immediately knows that her girlfriend is alluding to the comments she had made during her argument earlier and feels her body heat up with nervousness, worried that what she said may have crossed a mark.

Alex's head turns in time to witness the blonde's internal state of contemplation before smiling to herself, deciding to take pity on the younger woman.

"I guess home it is then," she concludes, standing up and shutting the cabinet before taking her girlfriend's hand and leading them out of the room.


	18. Chapter 18

_One year later_

From where she's standing, Piper scans her eyes over the crowd of people she's surrounded by; the people who mean the most to her. From observing the presence of close friends to family members, she stills when her eyes set on the very being that - no matter where they are or what they're doing - will always catch her eye.

She watches the dark-haired woman tilting her head back while laughing as she balances a champagne flute between her fingers mid-conversation. The shining sun highlights her - ever so slightly - bronzed skin from their most recent trip abroad, while her wavy hair complements the glasses resting on her nose. She's dressed in a burgundy tailored suit matched with a white shirt and black heels - a style that never fails to catch Piper's eye.

Caught up in her gawking, the blonde fails to notice that she is no longer standing alone at the side of the party sipping on her drink.

"Everything okay?" a feminine voice asks, causing the blonde to turn her head to the side.

In seeing that she's been joined by her best friend, Piper lets out a smile, nodding as she speaks.

"Everything's great. So what do you think of it?" she goes on to ask, looking around.

"Considering I know how much you guys paid for it, I'd say it lives up to its price tag's expectations," the brunette says, chuckling. "I mean it, Pipes, I love it. It's very… you."

"Thanks, Pol," the blonde smiles. "It was a pain in the ass to decorate though."

"Well with your compulsive nature, I can imagine."

"I have you know, I'm not the only compulsive one in my relationship."

Laughing loudly before taking a sip on her drink, the smaller woman replies.

"Now that I also believe. I'm happy for you both, Piper, even though your home is now miles better than mine."

"Thanks, Polly," Piper smiles before looking down at the contents of the liquid in her best friend's glass. "Tired of orange juice yet?"

"God, I would do anything for a glass of wine," the shorter woman replies before placing one hand on her extended stomach. "It'll all be worth it in the end."

"I can't believe you're having another one!"

"Neither can I, but I think I'm ready. Well, I'm not so sure about Pete, but he'll get there. Now it's just you next."

"Oh I don't know about that," Piper counters, feeling her cheeks begin to flush at the thought.

"Oh, come on, Piper, I know you. It's something you never used to shut up about."

"I know, Pol, but that was when we were younger and before I realised what I wanted for my future. That Alex is my future."

"You know there's ways around it with how advanced science is. I wouldn't just throw it out the window if it's something you always have and still do want, Pipes. Just think about it."

"Polly, I think we've gone through enough change for the time being, but I'll keep it in mind," she smiles, hoping the topic of conversation will change.

The brunette seemingly gets the hint and leans over to give her best friend a hug.

"Alert at 1 o'clock," Polly whispers into the blonde's ear before giving a wink and walking back over to her husband and son.

Piper - looking over to where her best friend had just alluded towards - spots a set of green emeralds looking her way, seemingly carrying out an observation much like the one her own blue orbs had been carrying out minutes earlier.

She watches the brunette lift a hand while delivering a tentative wave as she fails at keeping her poker face, obviously unable to keep a straight face as the blonde feels her own lips curl upwards to reveal her perfect white teeth.

Adjusting her hair behind her ear, Piper watches her girlfriend excuse herself from whatever conversation she was involved in and begin to walk over. She'd craved Alex's presence throughout the last 3 hours they'd been somewhat separated, but in knowing this event is a celebration of Alex's recent achievements as well as their new step together, Piper relented from being an interruption.

"Hey," Alex smiles, leaning forward to kiss the blonde's cheek.

"Hey back," Piper chuckles at the feeling of Alex's breath tickling her face. "How's everything going over there?"

"Considering I'm getting a little distracted, it's going okay."

"Hmm, what's been distracting you, Ms Vause?"

"I'm not too sure. It felt like someone was watching me," she tilts her head before continuing. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Ms Chapman?"

In feeling her cheeks reddening, Piper knows there's no point in lying.

"You know I can't not look at you when you're wearing _that_ ," the blonde emphasises, raking her eyes down the brunette's body.

"If it weren't for the fact we were hosting this, I'd take you upstairs and give you a preview of something much better than _that_ ," Alex responds, mimicking her girlfriend's choice of wording with a lower tone of emphasis.

"Jesus, Al," Piper says, biting down on her lip. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna go over there and you can…"

"Yeah, okay, I get it," the brunette chuckles as the blonde walks off while trying to hold back her smile as to prevent her flustered state from getting the better of her.

* * *

Throughout the last year the couple had been together, everything seemed to be moving on the up. The mass hysteria regarding their relationship - to the thanks of both parties - died down; Piper's book sales shot through the roof; Alex went through with her long-term plans to establish her own publishing agency - giving her the freedom over choosing who she worked with, and the pair took the step of finally moving in together, deciding to buy a local 3 bedroom modern home that - despite it's rather large, yet affordable fee in their case, neither woman had far to relocate.

The housewarming stroke Alex's business celebration had been Piper's idea - something she thought would be a piece of cake to organise, yet by the time all of their guests had gone home, the blonde found herself worn out on the sofa occupying the patio in their garden, resting her head on her girlfriend's lap.

She knows she should be going to bed - she has another big day of writing ahead of her, but spending this kind of quality time with her girlfriend that she'd seen very little of during their busy, conflicting schedules as well as the house move, is something she wants to hold on to.

"I think you need to go to bed, kid," Alex begins as she runs a hand through Piper's blonde hair, pushing it away from where it was blocking her eyes.

Leaning further into the brunette's leg, Piper knows she isn't going to last outside for too much longer.

"Will you come with me?"

"Of course," Alex chuckles. "Want me to carry you up?"

"I can walk," the blonde groans, attempting to get up before nearly falling back down.

"Very convincing, babe," Alex chuckles as she wraps her arms around her girlfriend's waist from behind. "Let me help," she adds, smiling as the blonde melts into her body letting her pick her up in a bridal style to take her indoors.

After succeeding in the mission of locking up the house while carrying Piper upstairs, Alex carries out her nightly routine in their en-suite before returning to their bed, chuckling at the sight before her.

With her blonde hair splayed out all over Alex's pillow, Piper is lying on her stomach with her trousers stuck around her ankles, revealing her black underwear, while her upper half is naked, leaving the brunette somewhat impressed that the blonde managed to remove her shirt and bra successfully in her tired state.

Smiling to herself, Alex walks around to the blonde's side of the bed, gets in, and turns off the side light. Now lying in the darkness, reflecting over the day's events, the room's silence soon breaks.

"You're on my side," Piper mumbles into Alex's pillow.

"And whose fault is that?"

"I was hoping you'd do something about it," the blonde voices, causing a bout of confusion to cover the brunette's face, not knowing the undertones of her girlfriend's message.

"Pipes, just sleep on my side. You're up early tomorrow."

"Hmm, I'll skip," the blonde begins, rolling over so that her leg is hooked over the older woman's body.

"You can't," Alex smiles, placing her hand under the blonde's knee resting over her hip. "Let's just sleep, okay?"

The blonde doesn't provide a verbal response - only the sound of light breathing, which confirms the state of her depleted physical function.

* * *

It's 6:00am when Piper hears her alarm go off. In an unsurprising fashion - having turned off the ringing sound coming from her phone, her girlfriend is left undisturbed being that the strong arm wrapped around the blonde's stomach from behind had remained in place.

Managing to get out of Alex's hold, Piper heads down to the kitchen, knowing that a cup of coffee will set off her day - which is bound to be as busy as they have been for the past three months - off on the right foot.

She'd previously pledged a break from writing her next book - and quite frankly work altogether - until she found increased levels of stability throughout her personal life, however all of that changed 6 months ago when she received a phone call - one in which completely threw those plans out the window.

* * *

 _"God, Pipes, keep going," Alex pants from where she's lying on the bed in Piper's bedroom._

 _Both women's naked bodies are lined with a shimmer of sweat - an indication as to what it is they'd been doing for the last half an hour, and as the blonde continues to move her hips - ensuring both of their centres are in line with one another, both parties know they won't be able to last for too much longer._

 _"Are you close?" Piper pants out as she leans down to connect their lips, speaking through an opened mouth._

 _"Yeah," Alex groans, anchoring her hands down on her girlfriend's moving hips. "I want you to come with me," she adds, shifting her legs further apart as to assist the blonde's movements._

 _Unable to keep their lips fused, Piper pulls back slightly, eager to watch the brunette's face, and just as her body begins to take over - aided by the sound of her girlfriend's heightened breathing, the blonde's home phone begins to ring._

 _Normally the pair would just ignore a ringing phone, but the unfamiliar sound of such a device being called startles both women, causing Piper's hips to slow in their mission despite the protests from the woman below her._

 _"What're you doing? Keep going," Alex nearly shouts, lifting her back off the bed almost as though in panic._

 _Although unsure as to who would be calling her home directly this early in the morning, the blonde gives off a smirk to the woman below her and picks up the pace of her hips, holding back a chuckle at the sight of Alex's eyes rolling to the back of her head as she falls back down onto the mattress._

 _Placing her hands down on the brunette's shoulders to aid the increasing speed of her hips, Piper attempts to block out the sound of her calling house phone, and when it rings off and then returns a following time, not even the temptation of her girlfriend's breasts could tear the blonde away from her annoyance at whoever kept calling._

 _Coming to a complete stop, she drags her hands along Alex's torso, muttering an apology while doing so, before leaning over to answer the phone resting on the nightstand._

 _"Can I help you?!" the blonde asks in a frustrated tone, hoping to let the person on the other end of the line know that they had chosen the wrong time to try and contact her._

 _"Miss Chapman, sorry to bother you. Is now a good time to talk?" an unfamiliar voice asks, causing the blonde's eyebrows to furrow._

 _"Well it wasn't, but now here we are," she replies in an angry manner, causing the woman below her to run her hands along her hips, hoping that the circular movement of her thumbs would be enough to soothe the frustrated blonde._

 _The person on the other end of the phone relays information that Piper would have never expected in her wildest dreams; upon hearing mutterings of the word 'script', 'film' and 'your novel', Piper lifts her knees, causing Alex's eyebrows to rise in question. She soon gets completely off the bed and stands in the middle of the room, one hand resting on her naked hip, and if it weren't for the fact that she were so confused, Alex would have found the temptation of the view of her girlfriend's body from the side incredibly hard to resist._

 _"I can do that for you," the blonde says out of confirmation, sounding a lot happier than she had been when she initially answered the phone. "Oh, please, call me Piper," she corrects the person on the other end, chuckling._

 _The exchange continues for a couple more seconds until the blonde presses the red button on her device to end the call._

 _She stands stationary in the room, looking at the white wall in front of her almost as though caught in a trance._

 _"Pipes?" Alex asks from where she is now resting her weight on her elbows. "Is everything ok?"_

 _Turning from where she had been standing, the blonde lets off a smile. Walking back to place the phone on the nightstand, Piper returns to her place on the bed, this time straddling her girlfriend's stomach._

 _"They want to turn my book into a movie," she reveals, smiling widely._

 _"No fucking way," the brunette comments out of surprise. "Congratulations!" she adds, running a hand down the blonde's bare left arm._

 _"They want me to help with the script altering."_

 _"How long will that take?"_

 _"They didn't say, but I have a meeting in a few days."_

 _"I'm proud of you, Pipes," Alex voices sincerely, mirroring the smile her girlfriend too is displaying._

 _"Enough about me for the time being," the blonde counters, leaning back down to connect their lips. "Where were we?"_

* * *

The sound of the coffee machine finishing breaks the blonde out of her daydream. She collects her filled mug and moves over to the marble kitchen island where she pulls back one of the stools and takes a seat.

Although she knows she should begin making her breakfast, Piper finds herself slipping in and out of a daydream - one in which keeps taking her back to the morning she received her phone call of good news, although the contents of the call not being what her brain and body seemed to be focusing on.

Herself and Alex hadn't had sex since they'd both embarked on their new work projects. The last time striking throughout her memory being the night they had first moved into their new house officially - marking a milestone for the both of them, but considering that happened nearly over two months ago, Piper finds her restraint collapsing.

Work on the script had taken longer than expected; the producers wanted to change around the ending for a full cinematic experience, yet in not wanting the ending she had crafted to be tampered with, the blonde put up a fight. She went to the extent of threatening to remove her consent for her material to be used, yet within a few days of doing so, her original plot was instilled.

Likewise, Alex parted ways with the company she had been working for for the last 6 years to move from a department manager to being the founder of her own agency business. It was something she had been planning for quite some time, and when a vacant building came onto the market at an affordable price along with sponsorship from Nicky's own publishing company, her long-awaited plans went ahead.

With the blonde's early morning wake-up calls and Alex's often late returns, the pair would often miss one another, and if they didn't, it was rare that they could even converse after eating dinner before their fatigue got the better of them.

Piper knows it's something she should bring up with her girlfriend, yet in knowing that they both _really_ can't afford to take any time off work this week, she relents. With her final week of script editing and Alex's final set of recruitment meetings, the blonde has something planned.

With Christmas nearing, she knows exactly what is it she's wanting to do to make it special, but doesn't allow herself to get too carried away and over think the awaiting planning process.

Snapping out of her thoughts for the final time at the sound of the dishwasher beeping, the blonde downs her - now cold - coffee and turns off the machine before heading upstairs to get dressed while not waking a sleeping Alex.

After rushing out the door having put on her shoes, Piper smiles when she checks her phone for the final time before driving off. A message of confirmation she had been waiting for had finally come through, and in what is now a not so patient mood, the blonde hopes she can make it through the day without malfunctioning mentally as well as physically.


	19. Chapter 19

**I apologise that it's been longer than normal - I recently went back to university and have a few exams to be focusing on.**

 **Please let me know what you think in the** **reviews.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Alex huffs as she leans down to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek before taking residence in the seat opposite while fixing her coat onto its back.

"Have you been waiting long?" the brunette goes on to ask having seen two mugs filled with coffee resting on the table.

"No, these hadn't come that long before you'd arrived," Piper smiles, watching the older woman try to control her breathing - a sign that she had rushed to reach the coffee shop where they had planned - courtesy of the blonde - their spontaneous lunch date.

"How's your day been?" Alex asks after taking a sip of the drink in front of her.

Piper, meanwhile, offers no response, as it seems as though she's transfixed in a daydream, whereby her eyes are boring holes into the brunette's face.

"Pipes?" Alex prompts, waving her hand in front of her girlfriend's face slowly while raising her eyebrows. "Anyone home?"

"Sorry. What were you saying?" the blonde asks, clearing her throat almost as though trying to compose herself.

"Everything okay over there," the brunette smirks, watching her girlfriend's cheeks flush into a light rose.

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About…?"

"About the fact that today's Friday and it's your last day working late and… you know, it's been a few months since we...," Piper whispers, jutting her neck forward followed by a attempted subtle lower lip bite in the hope that her companion will fill the gap.

"I see," Alex leans forward. "So is that why you asked me out to lunch at the last minute?"

"Not entirely," the blonde leans back, extending her leg under the table to run it up the trouser leg covering the brunette's right calf, "I wanted to see you."

"Well, then I'm glad that you asked," the brunette smiles before a reflection appears in the window to her left, indicating that someone is standing at the right side of the table.

"Piper!" a deep, yet clearly female, voice announces, causing both women to turn to the side.

The woman whom she doesn't recognise is looking down at the blonde, a smirk displayed over her face as she tilts her head to the side. Her black hair is loosely resting past her shoulders, while her height - above average yet still not as tall as Alex herself - casts a shadow over the middle of their table; the sitting brunette can't help but feel as though their guest happens to strike up a resemblance much like her own.

Turning back to her girlfriend, awaiting a response so she can find out who the mystery woman is, and upon seeing Piper's eyes wide and her lips parted - almost as though in shock, the brunette is taken back as her jaw subconsciously clenches.

"Emma, hi," the blonde finally replies through a quiet - sounding somewhat shaken - voice. "How've you been?" she goes on to ask awkwardly.

"Great, thank you," the dark-haired woman answers smugly before turning to the side. "So this must be the famous Alex?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that I'm famous," Alex chimes in, still not knowing who this woman is.

"Believe me - from what I've heard you are," the tall woman visibly tightens her jaw, poking her tongue into the left corner of her lip.

"So how you two know each other?" Alex asks, and as the dark-haired woman opens her mouth to answer, Piper quickly chimes in in a rushed manner.

"We met at a book event a few years ago," she aims at Alex before turning back to the other woman. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"I'm grabbing some coffee," she smiles, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, before raking her eyes down from the blonde's head, along her chest, and landing on her hand that is spread out on the table, assessing her long fingers. "But I won't keep you waiting any longer," she smiles, flashing her head back up to the blonde to then look back over at Alex.

"It was wonderful meeting you, _Alex_ ," she affirms, placing a strange emphasis on the brunette's name - something Alex can't quite figure out. "And it was lovely seeing you again, Piper. Give me a call some time - my number's still the same since the last time you texted," she concludes, giving the blonde a wink before turning away to grab her drink and leave the shop.

"What the fuck was that?" Alex asks in a loud voice, leaning over the table.

"I didn't know she was going to be here, Alex. I haven't seen or heard from Emma in years," the blonde attempts to respond in a calm manner, not wanting to cause a scene.

"How do you really know her?" Alex probes.

"I told you, Al, I met her at a book event a few yea-"

"I heard you the first time," Alex interrupts, "Why was she acting all entitled?"

"Can you just drop it, Alex? She was just saying hi."

"No, Piper, I can't just drop it, not when she was being so smug about something or other."

"Al-"

"Were you a couple?" the brunette asks, having immediately sensed the other woman's intentions as soon as her girlfriend's name had initially left her mouth.

"God, no," Piper's eyes widen. "We-"

"So you fucked?"

With her mouth slightly open, Piper pauses in what she was about to say, while Alex crosses over her arms and leans back into her chair.

"It happened a long time ago Alex. Long before we had gotten together."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I have told you that? Have you told me about everyone you've ever slept with?"

"So do you still have her number?" Alex digresses, avoiding the blonde's question entirely.

"Well, I-"

"It's a fucking simple question, Piper, with an even easier answer: either yes or no," the brunette says in an increasingly angry state.

"Yes! I still have her number, okay? I don't see why you're making this such a big deal when I'm here with you, Alex. I've got a past and I'm sure you do too, and I don't have to tell you every fucking detail of it," the blonde nearly explodes, feeling her veins begin to rub against the surface of her neck.

"Yeah, you're right," Alex says stoically. "You don't."

Pushing her chair back and putting on her coat, Alex looks her girlfriend in the eye.

"I've gotta get back to work. I said I wouldn't be gone for more than an hour."

"Al, it's only been 20 minutes," Piper says, trying - and failing - to reach out and grab her girlfriend's hand.

"I wouldn't want to be late now, would I?" the brunette smiles through her sarcastic tone as she heads off, not bothering to entertain the callings of her name coming from behind.

* * *

Despite their argument hours prior, Piper didn't want that to ruin the evening she had planned. Being that it was Alex's last evening working late for what would hopefully be a long time, the blonde had hoped they could get their intimacy levels back on track to the extent in which they did more than just whisper in tired tones to one another when in bed.

Having arrived home at 10pm, Alex immediately stepped into the shower, giving Piper the chance to carry out her plan.

She'd been shopping earlier in the week on her lunch break and purchased a new black lingerie set - something she knew would drive Alex crazy, and while her girlfriend was occupying the bathroom, Piper took this as an opportunity to get into bed and pull up the covers, hoping to surprise the older woman once she herself gets into the bed.

When Alex emerges 20 minutes later - already dressed in her pyjamas, she delivers a close-lipped - yet evidently insincere - smile to the blonde before sitting down on her side of the bed. Piper watches her girlfriend take off her glasses, place them onto the side, and turn off her side light. She then stands back up, peels back the duvet covering her side of the bed, and gets in, lying on her back with her eyes shut.

Piper - although knowing they weren't on the best of terms - was never expecting her girlfriend to dismiss her like this; if anything, she'd assumed Alex's evident display of jealousy earlier in the day would have turned into a hate-fuck session - something she certainly wouldn't have had any complaints about.

"Can you turn the light off," Alex announces roughly while keeping her eyes closed.

"You were just standing. Why didn't you do it then?" Piper asks, tightening her jaw while refusing to move, instead just staring at her girlfriend, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Piper - I've had a long day can you just turn off the fucking light," she adds, indeed opening her eyes and turning her head to the right to face the blonde.

The brunette - although clearly still in a state of agitation - scans her girlfriend's body, displaying a moment of confusion as to why the blonde has the duvet pulled all the way up to her neck, almost as though she's hiding something beneath.

Huffing in a dramatic fashion, Piper pushes the duvet off her body and gets out the bed. It's in this moment that Alex first sees the blonde's mouth-watering outfit, and although she feels a tightening in her lower half at the sight of the blonde's ass in her risqué underwear, she doesn't feel comfortable with the thought of having sex right now despite knowing it was something Piper had been looking forward to, and given the sight before her, she knows it was something she had also been preparing for.

After switching off the light and turning around to walk back to the bed, Piper's heart drops at the sight of Alex lying on her side with her back facing her. She'd gone into all of the effort in buying and wearing something she knows Alex would love to see her in, and in knowing that her girlfriend is still angry about their prior altercation, the blonde manages to hold back the set of tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes - not letting her sudden moment of self-depreciation get the better of her.

Getting into the bed, she doesn't mutter another word to the brunette, instead residing on her back where she stares into the darkness before her.

* * *

Piper's eyes open to the sight of small specks of light shining through the curtains. From where she's lying on her side - facing away from Alex, she checks the time on her phone: _6:04 am_. It's early enough to make her eyes roll back considering it's the first Saturday in weeks that she has the freedom to spend at home - starting with a lie-in, but it's also early enough for her to attempt to reconcile with her girlfriend.

Rolling over onto her other side, she sees that Alex is lying on her back, still asleep, and in knowing her girlfriend, she knows that last night - in what had underlying promises of sex - would have left her feeling desperate for any form of intimacy.

Reaching an arm forward, the blonde runs her hand down Alex's soft skin, feeling goosebumps rise, until she hooks her fingers along and up the brunette's shirt, resting on her bare abdomen. She tickles the skin with her fingers while attempting to hold back her groans at the feel of her girlfriend's abs - something she will never get enough of, before slowly pulling the duvet further down Alex's body so she can slip between her legs, careful not to wake the sleeping woman in the process.

She places light kisses along the older woman's inner thighs while running a hand back up her toned stomach - this time managing to pull her shirt up to the point in which it rests above her breasts, giving Piper the perfect view of her girlfriend's hardened nipples. With the smell of Alex's arousal becoming too much to handle considering the proximity she currently has with her girlfriend's most intimate area, the blonde pulls down Alex's underwear while staring in awe at her soaked centre.

She tentatively runs her right index finger through the wetness - clenching her thighs together at the feeling, and after a couple of minutes, in hearing Alex's breathing heighten - especially when she began to run a second finger along her slit, the blonde gives in, _finally_ deciding to replace her hand with her mouth.

Her first lick catalyses a series of low groans to emanate throughout her throat, and in feeling her girlfriend's hips buck upwards - followed by the feeling of a hand gripping her hair and the sound of a loud moan, she knows Alex is no longer asleep.

"Fuck, Piper," Alex moans, clearly enjoying the sensations coursing through her body courtesy of the blonde's tongue, but just as the blonde looks up at her girlfriend, green eyes meeting blue as she circles her tongue around Alex's entrance, she feels a harsh tug on the back of her head, pulling her mouth out of reach from her girlfriend's centre.

"Al-" the blonde begins to protest, moving quickly to sit upwards, not caring about her naked chest being on show from when she had pulled her new outfit down to her waist. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, Piper," the brunette begins, shifting upwards slightly. "It's just I'm… I'm not… I can't," she stumbles, obviously attempting to keep her eyes away from Piper's chest while doing so.

"Is this about yesterday?" the blonde asks, trying to get her girlfriend to come back from where she had now turned sideways and stood up from the bed.

"I'm sorry, Pipes, but I can't right now," she says in a conflicted tone. "I should really shower anyway before work."

"I thought we agreed no work this weekend."

"I know, but… I'll explain later," Alex bites down her jaw - visibly distressed - before going into the bathroom and closing the door, leaving a half naked - and extremely aroused - Piper to flop onto her back, feeling hopeless in herself.

Having gone to make coffee and returned to the sound of the shower still running longer than usual, the blonde gets up and walks over to the door to check if Alex is alright, until she hears something that she certainly wasn't expecting.

In hearing the light sound of panting and a poorly disguised grunt, Piper knows that Alex is touching herself in the shower, and worst of all, she can hear her girlfriend's attempts to suppress her vocalisations - probably out of the fear of being heard.

It gets to the point in which the blonde can no longer just stand and listen, so she reaches for the handle, twisting it to go inside but to no prevail. She rests her forehead against the door as she feels a pang of heartache in her chest at not only the thought of Alex locking the door to prevent her entry - something she never does, or the fact that Alex is - by the sound of it - struggling to reach her high at the speedy rate she is craving.

" _Alex_ ," the blonde pleads loud enough for her girlfriend to hear her.

"I'll be o-out in a minute," the brunette struggles to get out, and when Piper hears her girlfriend struggling more and more to hide her up and coming orgasm, she backs away, feeling an element of guilt that Alex is having to try and conceal her volume.

The blonde moves to the edge of the bed and sits down, waiting for her girlfriend to come out the bathroom, and when this finally occurs a few minutes later, the brunette lowers her head, seeming embarrassed at having been heard.

"Pipes-" Alex begins, eyeing her seated girlfriend that - much like the day before - seems to be stuck in a daydream.

"You know you can't keep doing this every time you're jealous, Alex. What was I even meant to do about someone coming up to us unexpectedly?"

"I know," Alex admits, shuffling slowly to sit next to the blonde. "I just couldn't handle how she was practically eye fucking you in front of me. What even was her deal with me?"

"Oh I think you'll like this part," Piper chuckles before seeing Alex's eyebrows rise in question. "Well, some of it," she adds, clearing her throat. "Emma was the first woman I slept with," Piper admits, trying her best not to smile at Alex's clenched jaw and veiny temple, "but I called her Alex when you know… I was…orga-"

"Okay, I think I get the picture," Alex saves the sentence, running a hand through her hair.

"It had nothing to do with who she was as shallow as that sounds. She was tall, had dark hair, had a deeper voice; she was you when I imagined hard enough," the blonde pauses, looking down at their hands which were now intertwined and up to Alex. "I'm sorry for what I said. That was uncalled for."

"You don't have to apologise, Pipes. I just didn't want to come across as jealous."

"Hmm, well that worked out well for you."

"I'm sorry I was an ass about the light," Alex adds, shifting slightly while using her free hand to adjust her glasses. "And I know you had plans for us last night and I fucked it all up, so I'm sorry for that too."

"It's okay," Piper smiles, knowing that her girlfriend genuinely feels guilty for her actions. "Don't you have work?"

"Well, I was going to go in a bit later if we were still arguing, but I guess I'm not going anymore."

"How was your shower?" Piper asks, tilting her head.

"It could have been better?"

"Oh yeah. How so?" the blonde asks, moving from her spot to straddle her girlfriend's hips.

"If you were there in that new outfit I happened to get a little preview of last night," the brunette responds, placing her hands on the blonde's hips over the robe covering her body.

"I guess it's your lucky day then," Piper reveals, moving her hands down to untie the robe which falls to the ground, leaving her chest still naked from earlier and her lingerie bunched at her waist, "because I have a few ideas of what I want to happen next."

"Like what?"

"Like letting you do whatever you want to me," Piper reveals, leaning in to breathe her words against Alex's parted lips.

"Whatever I want?" the brunette questions, wanting confirmation.

" _Whatever_ you want. I'm all yours, Al," the blonde confirms, biting down on her lower lip.


	20. Chapter 20

***taps* Is this thing on?**

 **I know it's been a while, but I - unsurprisingly - got distracted by my other story _Sold At First Sight_ (check it out if you haven't done so already). I really do aim to get this finished as I hate leaving things with crappy ambiguous endings, so please bear with me!**

 **I'm unsure when I'll update next as life's keeping me on my toes, so let's hope you're well coordinated because I'm afraid patience is the aim of the game I'm playing.**

 **However, I hope this was worth the wait - please let me know what you think!**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"Al, just put it in already," Piper gasps from where she's lying underneath her girlfriend.

"Ask nicely," the brunette prompts, continuing her movements as she runs the appendage through the blonde's wet centre, right hand aiding her control.

"Please," Piper pleads, feeling as though she could lose her cool at any given moment.

"Please what?" Alex asks with a smirk, knowing how her teasing is affecting the woman below her.

"Please put it in, Alex. Fuck me," the blonde begs, not knowing how much more of this she can take.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" the older woman smirks, slowing down the movement of her hand and hips to line up the hard tip with her girlfriend's centre.

Looking up at the blonde one last time to search for any sign of discomfort, Alex proceeds to push her hips forwards up until she's fully resting inside of her girlfriend.

Piper, meanwhile, lets a groan rip from her lips at the sudden feeling of fullness enveloping her body, and while she wants anything more than to wrap her arms around the woman above her, the silk scarves pulling her wrists into the headboard prevent any form of movement.

"Is this okay?" Alex asks, looking into the blonde's eyes who immediately identifies her girlfriend's worry as her vision flickers to her wrists attached to the headboard.

"Yeah, all good," Piper manages to pant out, trying to focus on not crumbling before Alex even begins to move her hips.

After the blonde earlier voiced her want for her girlfriend to do to her whatever she wanted, Alex's mind flooded as he found herself relaying all of the fantasies she had thought of featuring herself and the woman below her. Persuading the younger woman wasn't the challenge; deciding exactly what it was she wanted to do to the blonde posed to be a greater struggle. After watching Piper fall onto her back through heaving breaths and straighten her arms above her head after an exhausting second round of intimacy, Alex immediately knew where she wanted to take the blonde's request; to say Piper was thrilled would be an understatement.

From where they're currently positioned, the brunette waits for her girlfriend's approval to start moving, knowing she must be sensitive from the two orgasms she'd already had throughout the past hour.

"You can start," Piper vaguely says as though stuck in a lust-filled trance.

"Like this?" Alex asks as she begins to slowly move the dildo out to its tip, watching her girlfriend for any sign of protest.

"Mmm exactly like-" Piper whispers before the remainder of her sentence forcefully rips from her vocal cords as she feels Alex's hips push back forwards, causing the appendage to re-enter her centre, "THAT!"

Pleased at the reaction she's earning from the woman below her, Alex lowers her head into the crook of the blonde's neck, groaning at the pleasurable friction she herself is surprisingly experiencing, as well as the image of her eager girlfriend willingly tied up before her.

Piper, meanwhile, can already feel herself crumbling. Her body's sensitivity is starting to get the better of her, and as she begins to reach her peak, she craves more contact with the woman above her.

"Kiss me," the blonde moans out causing Alex to pull her head back from where it was nestled into the side of her neck nibbling on the reddened, sweaty skin.

The brunette gives off a smirk as she leans in yet stops just out of her girlfriend's reach, watching her plead while her restrained arms prevent their lips from meeting.

"Alex, please," Piper begs, feeling her eyes begin to water at the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her body.

In seeing the internal battle the blonde is experiencing, Alex momentarily takes pity on the woman below her, deciding to give her some relief.

Watching her girlfriend extend her neck that final bit, Piper opens her mouth to initiate a sloppy kiss that reflects her overflow of emotions. Alex, however, doesn't want to entirely give in just yet; biting down on the blonde's bottom lip before they get too carried away, the brunette begins to taunt the younger woman, wanting to take advantage of their current positions.

"You like being tied up like this, don't you? All at my mercy," she grunts, her hot breath painting the blonde's lips.

"God, _yes_ ," Piper responds eagerly, head tilting backwards as she feels the speed of her girlfriend's hips increase.

"All mine," the brunette groans out through heightened breath, feeling as though she won't be able to continue for much longer. "All mine to touch," she begins, the speed of her trusts matching her sharp tone of voice, "all mine to fuck."

"Alex-" Piper pants out through heaving breath as her hands begin to pull on the items restraining them.

"I didn't think you had it in you to introduce me to one of your past fucks," the brunette growls. "She looked familiar, you know: tall, dark hair. I bet she was fun," she adds, jealousy ringing throughout her tone.

"She- she wasn't you," Piper attempts to reconcile despite stuttering, but her mood suddenly shifts as she feels the woman above her slow down the pace of her hips and pull back the appendage so that only its tip is resting inside of her. "Al, what're you doing?" she asks, attempting to sit upwards to get a better view of what's going on, only to be reminded of her restrained position.

"I'm doing you am I not?" the brunette smirks, as she leans back and slowly begins to move her hips again.

Letting out her loudest groan yet, Piper's body relaxes back onto the bed as she's overcome with both pleasure and frustration courtesy of her girlfriend's slow movements.

"Not hard enough," the blonde responds, hoping to get her message across.

"You don't seem to be in the position to be making demands down there," Alex points out having leant back forwards. "I'll fuck you how I like," she adds, still maintaining the slow pace of her hips as she chooses to carry out her fantasy rather than give into pleasure too soon.

"Alex, please just fuck me," Piper pleads, her eyes welling up.

"At least you've learnt your manners," the brunette smirks before giving in and increasing the speed of her hips.

The room is soon filled with moans and groans from both parties, and along with a string of profanities on Piper's part, it's evident that even if she wanted to, Alex wouldn't be able to slow down anytime soon.

"Fuck! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Piper screams out as her back arches into the air, causing the woman above her to also fall from her peak, resting her face into the crook of the blonde's neck as she recovers.

Several minutes later, Alex pulls back to observe Piper's face.

"You okay?" she asks, noticing the blonde's eyes are still closed over.

"Wonderful," the blonde blissfully responds, still keeping her eyes shut until she opens them again as she continues to speak. "That was-"

"I know," Alex smiles, raising her right hand to push Piper's sweaty hair from her forehead and readjust the loose bits behind her ear, before pulling back to detach the item connected to her own centre and place it onto the floor at the end of the bed.

"Al," Piper probes, causing the older woman to look up. "Forgetting something?" she goes on to ask through a smile as she moves her restrained wrists to emphasise her point.

"Oh shit, yeah, sorry," Alex chuckles before quickly shuffling forward on her knees and carefully untying her girlfriend. "Better?"

"Better," Piper quietly groans out as she moves her arms down to the side of her body, grateful to finally regain some form of movement.

Feeling the right side of the bed lower - a sign that Alex had flopped onto her back, Piper turns onto her left side, placing a hand on her girlfriend's hip.

"Have I worn you out?" the blonde asks the recovering brunette.

"I wouldn't say it was you specifically considering I did all of the work," Alex smartly comments, causing Piper to lightly pinch the skin of her hip.

"Well it's not like I could move, Al," the blonde chuckles.

"What about the first two times?" the older woman smiles, letting her girlfriend know that she's only messing with her.

Without vocalising her thoughts, Piper decides to let her actions do the speaking; shuffling from her position, she moves so that she's now straddling the brunette's toned, sweaty abdomen from where she's now lying in the centre of the bed, and places her hands on the older woman's chest to keep upright.

"We can't have you thinking that now, can we?" the blonde asks as she leans forwards to fuse their lips together which soon escalates from an innocent connection to one of growing passion.

Feeling herself getting worked up again, Piper's hips begin to move against her girlfriend's stomach, causing both women to let out vocal groans of approval.

"Very controlling," Alex utters against the blonde's lips in a sarcastic tone as she attempts to lean forward and turn them over, but as she does so, Piper removes her hands from their position on the brunette's chest.

In the uncoordinated manoeuvre, Alex's arms instinctively move to prevent the woman above her from losing her balance, but as her hands accidentally land under the blonde's armpits, she immediately sees her objective crumble right before her eyes.

Wriggling in a seemingly uncontrollable fashion as she laughs loudly, Piper's body flies off to the left as though she'd just been burnt, and although she attempts to make a last-ditch attempt at grabbing onto something, the blonde fails and lands on the bedroom floor with a loud thud.

"Shit!" Alex announces, moving up on her right elbow to check on her girlfriend. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Piper huffs out as she raises her torso from the floor, using her flat palm to keep up her weight. "Being tickled isn't my thing, inside and outside the bedroom," she explains, giving a close-lipped smile as she sees a wave of relief wash over her girlfriend as she observes Alex rest her back onto the bed as she allows herself to start laughing.

Not yet finding the strength to get back up entirely, Piper scans along the floor in front of her; eyes landing on a specific object.

It's something she'd been thinking about for quite some time - _how couldn't she?_ , and although she'd always imagined the process of planning and performing some sort of grand gesture, as she flicks her eyes back up to the naked, dark-haired woman lying on the bed with her eyes closed over, she knows that it's a now or never opportunity.

Reaching her hand under her side of the bed, Piper pulls out one of her old running trainers and proceeds to take out the lone scrunched up sock she had previously placed inside. Fiddling with the small, white garment, she pulls out what she had been looking for - what she had spent _a lot_ of time searching for before making such a purchase.

Putting the sock back into the shoe and pushing the item back under the bed, the blonde finds herself somewhat seated on the floor holding a small, black box - her girlfriend completely oblivious as to what she had just done. Again, she'd hoped to have planned out this next part - the importance of what she wanted to say, but in spontaneously deciding to throw caution to the wind with waiting, she knows that it isn't the words that'll come from her own mouth that's beginning to make her palms sweat.

"Are you alive down there?" she hears Alex ask through a chuckle as she still has her eyes closed over.

"Sorry, yeah. I was just getting something," Piper says before clearing her throat while she gets into position.

"From the floor?" Alex laughs to herself as she props herself up on her right elbow and finally opens her eyes, setting her sights on her - very much so - naked girlfriend who happens to be down on one knee with her right hand resting on her thigh and the other by her side. "Pipes-" she voices, unsure if her initial instincts regarding what is about to happen are correct.

"I know what you're thinking: my tits look bigger from this angle," Piper begins, chuckling nervously as she tries to compose herself using humour. "This isn't how I originally wanted this to go. I'd thought time and time again of the several different ways in which I could make you happy and this memorable, but the truth is, Alex, whenever I'm with you _I_ feel happy, and I guess if your feelings are as visceral as mine, I figured this would make you happy too," she momentarily pauses due to the high-pitched crack in her voice, letting out a heavy breath as she tries to stop herself from crying.

"I love everything about you, Alex. And by everything, I mean the way you smile even when you're annoyed, the way you fiddle with you glasses when you're nervous, and even when you tickle me, both by accident and with intent," the blonde smiles, giving in to the tears falling down her cheeks. "I want to see that smile, watch your reactions and experience your presence everyday for the rest of my life, and although it took me a while to realise and voice that, one thing I'm certain about is the way I feel about you right now and how I'll always feel about you," she pauses once again, sniffing as she too watches the woman before her wipe away a tear that had fallen from behind her glasses that she must have put on just after she had landed on the floor.

"I love you, Alex, and it would mean the world to me if you'd let me love you unreservedly," Piper adds before reaching her hand down to the opened box by her side, lifting it up in her right hand. "So, Alex Pearl Vause," she pauses a final time, not wanting her tears to affect the clarity of her integral question, "will you marry me?"

Alex, meanwhile - having straightened up her position as soon as she spotted the blonde on one knee, smiles at the woman before her - the woman she would do anything for, and wipes her watery eyes under her glasses to restore some form of focus.

"Yes, _of course_ I'll marry you, Piper," the brunette finally breathes out, causing the younger woman's worried look to turn into a relieved toothy smile.

Reaching forward to grab the older woman's left hand, the blonde slips the silver diamond ring onto Alex's ring finger before pushing herself up from the floor while the brunette simultaneously shuffles to the right side of the bed to stand up.

Placing her hands on either side of Alex's face, Piper pulls her into a kiss, both women smiling into the contact at the realisation of the latest milestone in their relationship.

"Thank you for saying yes," the blonde says as pulls away to wipe her eyes.

"Like there was any other option," Alex smiles, reaching up a hand to take over and wipe her fiancée's wet cheeks. "How long was that under there?" she goes on to ask, referring to the stunning ring now adorning her finger.

"A couple of months," Piper admits. "I know how much you hate the gap under the bed so thought that was a smart place to hide it - and you hate running, so I thought that would top it off.

"You never fail to amaze me, Pipes," the brunette smiles.

"Let's just say this made up for making me fall off the bed during sex, which is a first," the blonde chuckles, thinking back to the reason in which she ended up on the floor in the first place.

"While I can't say you getting down on your knees was a first, the outcome certainly was," Alex smiles, loving the rose coloured blush covering Piper's cheeks.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" the blonde asks rhetorically as she runs her right hand down the brunette's toned stomach before resting it between her legs; leaning forward to kiss the taller woman, Piper begins to let her actions do the talking.


	21. Chapter 21

**I think this is the longest I've not updated any of my stories so far. Sorry it's so short and that it's taken me this long to add another chapter. Life is busy sometimes.**

* * *

"You ready?" Alex asks from where she's standing by the front door.

"No," Piper responds as she descends the staircase, rolling her eyes while doing so.

"Come on. It can't be that bad," the brunette begins, running a hand along her fiancée's hair as she walks closer. "I'll be there with you the whole time."

"I know," Piper smiles, leaning into Alex's touch. "I'm just nervous."

"Pipes, I've met your family before. They know we're together."

"Yeah, but I don't know how they're going to react about the whole marriage thing. I don't know - they don't ever really like talking about our relationship to anyone nevermind us."

"It's unlikely they'll be against it," Alex tilts her head. "I mean a front page spread of you with your hands down my bikini bottoms and the fact that we live together _absolutely screams_ friendship."

"Shut up," the blonde chuckles, hitting the taller woman on the arm. "Let's just get this over and done with."

"That's the spirit," Alex smiles, before opening the front door.

It's only been a few days since Piper had proposed, yet the pair are still yet to inform the blonde's parents. Their relationship has never been something they've discussed - yes, they knew the pair were dating and live together, but Piper was unsure as to how her parents would react to such a lifetime commitment. Whenever they're asked about it, Piper has found her parents avoid the subject, choosing to prefer talking about their daughter's writing career as opposed to her more-so public relationship.

The car journey doesn't take as long as expected, and when the couple find themselves parked outside the Chapman home, Piper seems a lot more relaxed - well, on the outside at least.

"The childhood home of the one and only Piper Elizabeth Chapman," Alex announces, causing Piper to roll her eyes at her fiancée's playful tone of voice.

"Soon to be Vause."

"Oh yeah?" the brunette asks, her eyebrows raising in amusement.

"Let's get this done with before we end up doing some questionable things in this car," Piper digresses, leaning over to deliver a quick peck before getting out of the passenger side of the car.

Once they're both walking up the path to the property, Piper grabs Alex's hand, squeezing tightly as the front door opens prematurely, yet fortunately only Cal's presence is revealed.

"Ah, lesbians," the bearded man says, widening his arms as a sign of greeting.

"Are you really gonna say that every time, Cal?" Piper asks, trying to sound annoyed, but that eventually fades into an inevitable smile as she watches her brother pull Alex into a welcoming hug who chuckles loudly at the man's force.

"Stop being such a spoilsport," her brother responds, pulling back to give the same amount of affection to his sister. "It's good to see you both," he adds before stepping back and leading the way into the house. "Although, this is bound to be one hell of an afternoon."

"Yeah, that's one thing you're probably right about," Piper says under her breath, ensuring her grip on Alex's hand remains strong as they follow her brother's lead.

* * *

By the time their evening meal is ready, Piper is still yet to tell her parents the news. The dining table has her father and brother at either end, her mother next to Neri, Cal's wife, and Alex to her left.

"I have some news," Piper says as the end of one conversation opens the door for another.

"Are you writing another book?" her mother asks, voice rising at the thought of the promising prospect.

"Not quite, no," the blonde says, letting out a heavy breath until she feels Alex's hand landing on her thigh under the table in a reassuring manner. "Alex and I are getting married," she reveals, deciding to go head first with the facts of the situation.

"Wow! Congrats you guys!" Cal says from his end of the table in a positive manner.

"I only proposed recently, so we haven't started planning or anything like that," the blonde adds, feeling somewhat insecure as everyone's eyes are fixed on herself and Alex.

"I always thought Alex would be the one to propose," Carol says, surprising both women.

"I thought so too," the brunette chimes in, looking over at Piper as she speaks. "This one beat me to it."

"Let's see the ring!" Neri says in an equally as excited manner as her husband, leaning forward to get a better look as Alex raises her left hand for the other woman to see.

"Gosh, that's beautiful, Piper," Neri says in awe, staring into the ring on Alex's hand.

"At least your choice in jewellery is one of the few things you picked up on from me," the blonde's mother says, chuckling as she too looks at the silver band on her soon-to-be daughter-in-law's finger. "Planning's going to be exciting, Piper. I can introduce you to one of my friends who plans these sort of events."

"Mom-" the blonde interrupts her mother while giving a close-lipped smile. "It's only just happened. We haven't discussed when we want to get married, but when the time comes, you can introduce us."

Cal then begins talking about his own wedding with Alex, commenting on the niche - although in Piper's eyes: strange - elements of his own that they should also implement, but Piper can't find herself able to listen - not when the solemn look on her father's face doesn't seem to provide her with any form of happiness.

"Isn't that right, dad?" Cal asks from down the table, causing the older man to look up in confusion.

The blonde watches her father agree with her brother, pretending as though he was listening, before changing the conversation entirely. It hurts her - she can't lie, but in this case, her main focus is getting through the evening and getting out of her parents' home.

* * *

"Were you being serious earlier about wanting to be called Vause?" Alex asks from where they're both sitting upright in bed; Piper looking through her phone, and the brunette herself reading a book.

Turning her head from her phone, Piper gives off a close-lipped smile.

"Of course. After this evening, I don't think my own family even want me to be a Chapman anymore."

"Don't say that," Alex comments, placing her book onto her side table before turning onto the left side of her body, elbow holding her up. "What if I want to be called Chapman?"

"You _want_ to be called Chapman?" Piper asks, her eyebrows risen.

"Well, not for the name itself, but it's a part of you, so I want that too."

"But I want to be called Vause," the blonde stubbornly responds, managing to successfully hide the effect Alex's prior words had on her emotions.

"So we'll have both: Vause-Chapman."

"Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't lie about something like that, Pipes," Alex chuckles. "Plus, I don't think it'll be a good idea if your pen name goes entirely out of the window. No one will read your books if they don't know it's you."

"I didn't think of it like that," the blonde ponders, realising some benefits of keeping Chapman in her name. "At least that's one thing we've decided on," she adds, letting out a loud sigh before looking back down at the phone in her hands.

"And at least no one said anything bad tonight," Alex again starts a conversation, sensing Piper is feeling an element of sadness as to how their evening had turned out.

"Does not saying anything count as a good thing or a bad thing?" the blonde asks, sounding momentarily distant. "You know what? I'm too tired to talk about this right now." Piper says with undertones of anger.

Huffing loudly, the blonde performs a similar ritual to her fiancée in placing her now locked phone onto the side table - except she also turns off the bedside lamp, creating darkness around the room, before flattening her pillow and turning onto her left side, back towards Alex.

The brunette is momentarily stunned by Piper's actions, but, then again, she doesn't entirely blame her. Most of the conversation on the way home revolved around the blonde's family's reaction to their news, and although it wasn't mentioned so much, Alex knew the woman next to her wanted her father to at least acknowledge her happiness.

Reaching back to place her glasses onto the side, Alex returns to her position, except this time also flattening her pillow and lying down closer to her fiancée, her front touching the other woman's back.

"I'm sorry," the brunette begins, feeling guilty for bringing up the sensitive topic so late in the evening.

Piper's silence speaks loudly enough, as Alex can immediately tell from the sound of her heightened breathing that she is silently crying. Wrapping an arm around the smaller woman, Alex rests her head into the crook of Piper's neck, breathing in her scent. She offers no words - knowing it's not something Piper wants right now, but instead rubs her right hand along the one that Piper is resting on top of her own torso. The blonde welcomes the touch - something Alex guesses she finds soothing, and eventually, Piper turns her head to that she can see the woman behind her.

Despite the tight angle, the blonde manages to find Alex's lips in the darkness and deliver the only form of thanks she can muster at this moment in time. The brunette can feel the blonde's wet cheeks come into contact with her own, but doesn't bring it up - not wanting to ruin the moment.

In what seems like a natural movement, Piper moves her hand from under the one Alex's own was resting on top of, and takes over the position. In a careful motion, she begins to direct the brunette's hand into the waistband of her night shorts, appreciating the grunt she receives from her counter part when she parts her lips to allow some air to intercept their ongoing kiss.

"Pipes-" Alex tries to speak but is cut off by the blonde forcing her tongue into her mouth.

"Just go with it," the blonde eventually voices once she feels Alex melt into her touch, before herself having to break away from the kiss and let out heavy breaths against her fiancée's mouth as she feels her resolve begin to crumble.


	22. Chapter 22

**This is the final chapter of the story. Let me know what you think! (PS: there's a one year time jump between this chapter and the last.)**

* * *

"Can you believe her?" Alex asks as she stands in awe at the threshold of her office door. "How did she even manage this?"

"Don't ask me," Nicky responds, smirking at the sight of the taller woman walking over to her desk that now holds two wrapped presents and a large box; two helium balloons resting against the side courtesy of the two weights on the floor. "Seems like blondie feels guilty for being away for your birthday."

"I should call her," Alex begins, before Nicky places a hand on her forearm, stopping her movements.

"Time zones, Vause. Who knew Piper being away would make you so fucking useless," she laughs before moving to back out the room. "Don't work yourself too hard, four-eyes."

Now alone in the room, Alex smiles to herself as she runs her hand along the white envelope that featured her name in Piper's distinctive cursive writing.

The message on the inside is short, yet makes her smile. The blonde again apologises for her work schedule getting in the way of any plans, and instructs for the smallest present on the table to be opened last.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, the brunette begins to open the contents on her desk; one box revealed a chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday Al' written in white icing, while another contained an expensive jacket that she had voiced an interest in but didn't wish to commit to the numbers on the price tag. Upon finally reaching the final present, Alex smirks as she sees Piper had wrapped a box in a box - something the blonde knows the brunette always likes to point out.

The smile is soon wiped from her face once she lifts the lid on the streamline compartment; she blinks rapidly as she eyes the contents of the box, and before she even has the chance to think, she grabs her phone and dials Piper's number.

 _Fuck time zones_.

* * *

The rest of the week proved to drag along, but by the time Piper was due to arrive home, Alex felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness to see her wife. They'd gotten married just over a year ago in an intimate ceremony that involved both of their friends and family - much to their surprise when the Chapmans didn't turn down their invitation. The past week had been the longest the pair had been separated since the blonde's last book tour before their wedding, and although it wasn't a major spell of separation, the unfamiliarity of being alone made Alex realise it's something she doesn't hope becomes a regular occurrence any time soon.

Waiting along with a crowd of people by the arrivals area, the brunette shifts her weight as she switches between checking her phone and looking up every few minutes. Piper had text her half an hour before, letting her know she had landed, but in not hearing anything since, the brunette was unsure when she would appear.

Her ringing phone immediately grabs her attention; in seeing the caller id not belonging to the person she hoped it would be, she sighs before answering.

"What?" she asks, hoping the call has some form of purpose other than cause her irritation.

"Jesus, Vause, who pissed you off?" Nicky's rough voice rings through the phone.

"You know I'm at the airport, Nic. What do you want?" Alex continues, unsure whether her best friend remembered the reason why she had taken the day off work.

"Oh, shit, I completely forgot," the wild-haired woman borderline shouts down the phone, causing the brunette to pull the phone slightly away from her ear.

While listening to her best friend explain her morning events, Alex's attention is grabbed by the sight of a large group of people heading her way. Her focus shifts to look for her wife, and once her sights land on a familiar head of blonde hair, she smiles to herself - now completely zoned out of the phone conversation.

"Nic, I need to go," she begins, interrupting her friend, but not caring at this moment in time. "I'll call you later," she adds before hanging up the phone and placing it into the pocket of her jeans.

She watches Piper as she attempts to walk towards the exit without bumping her suitcase into anyone, and once she manages to catch the blonde's eye, her smile widens as she sees one mirrored in the features of the woman now approaching heading her way.

Without saying anything, Piper lets go of her suitcase, drops her brown duffle bag, and pulls the taller woman into a hug, letting out a heavy breath into the side of her neck.

"Hey," Piper smiles after eventually pulling back from the hug with watery eyes.

"Hey yourself," Alex smirks, pushing a piece of blonde hair behind its owner's ear. "Don't cry," she adds, chuckling at her wife's attempt to keep her emotions in check.

"I'm not crying," Piper laughs, wiping below her eye.

"Sure," the brunette comments, leaning down to pick up her wife's bag and suitcase. "I believe we have some catching up to do," she smiles, grabbing onto Piper's outstretched hand as they walk towards and out of the exit.

By the time they reach their car, Alex places the bags she's carrying into the back before moving into the driver's seat. She goes to put her keys into the ignition, but soon she feels a hand land on her forearm, bringing a pause to her movements. Looking to her side, she sees Piper staring at her, but before she gets the chance to move or even say anything, the blonde moves closer and connects their lips for the first time in just over a week.

"Now you can go," Piper comments after pulling away and removing her arm from her wife, smirking at the look of shock on the taller woman's face.

"Thanks, I needed your permission for that," Alex chuckles, toothy smile growing as she feels a light slap land on her arm.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Piper asks, walking into the living room and taking a seat next to her wife.

Alex, looking up from where her focus had previously been, blinks quickly before nervously adjusting her glasses. "Yeah, I think I am. Just-" she pauses, letting her shoulders relax. "I wasn't expecting this."

"Surely you were at least _expecting_ it, Al. You came to the appointments with me," the blonde laughs, shuffling further along the sofa to grab her wife's right hand.

"It's fucking crazy," she shakes her head out of disbelief, waving the white stick similar to the one she had opened in her office a few days prior.

"It is pretty wild," Piper says, squeezing the brunette's hand almost out of reassurance, "but exciting at the same time."

"How are you feeling? You're not nauseous or anything?" Alex asks, sounding unsure as to what is going to happen next or how to really navigate their current conversation.

The blonde chuckles

"That's not for another few weeks, Al."

Leaning over to kiss the brunette's jawline, Piper again squeezes their hands together and smiles as she bites down on her lower lip.

"But everything's perfect. It was before, it is now, and it will be as long as you're here."

"Well that was fucking cheesy," Alex comments, returning the hand squeeze.

"Ah, there she is: the asshole I chose to marry and have children with."

" _Children?_ " Alex asks, eyebrows widening. "As in plural? Let's just focus on this one to begin with, Pipes."

"Yep, there she definitely is. Alex Vause-Chapman right over here," Piper smiles.

She feels an overwhelming sense of love wash over her. Although their journey to be together wasn't anywhere near smooth sailing, she would do it all over again if it meant she'd end up right here: exactly where she belongs.

* * *

 **Here we are: the end.**

 **Thanks for all the kind comments and PMs about this story. I started off with a great idea in my head, but life got in the way on a few occasions, and I felt here was the right place to bring it to a close.**

 **Happy reading.**


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